Fourteen Days
by Tee-Cup
Summary: Tanya Green came to New York for two weeks. In those two weeks she had one hell of an adventure. Set in the Amazing Spider-Man movie Universe, 1 year after the events of 2. Mainly Harry/OC. Rated T for smut and language.
1. Chapter 1

**The Amazing Spiderman**

**I don't own ASM or any related content**

**This fic will focus more on Harry and OC than Peter although Peter will be involved**

**Day One**

She was only in New York for a short time to help James settle in, and then she would go back to England where she felt far more comfortable. It wasn't that New York wasn't an amazing city, it was spectacular and she felt safer in New York than in London. New York had Spiderman, she felt she could sleep easily knowing that there was a superhero who would come to her rescue if anything should happen.

The only thing that frightened Tanya about New York was the one monster Spiderman had not yet been able to defeat, the Green Goblin. Many rumours speculated who the man beneath the monster was but Tanya didn't care, she knew that he would be as twisted as the monster portrayed him to be.

James had moved from England to accept a job placement as Oscorp industries and had asked Tanya to come with him whilst he got accustomed to the city. They had known each other since they were young children and were very close friends. Tanya often got the impression that he was interested in something more but she ignored it.

James started his work as Oscorp immediately, leaving Tanya on her own from day one. He had his furniture but nothing was unpacked so she decided she would make it her task to turn the apartment into his new home.

She woke up as he was leaving for work, rolled over and glanced at the clock to determine the time was 7AM. She considered going back to sleep but knew that if she did then she would get nothing done and never get over the jet lag. So she forced herself out of bed and crossed to the mirror next to the window, as she rolled up the blinds she studied her hideous appearance. Her bright, blonde hair stuck up at the back and sleep gummed at her eyes, she rubbed the sleep away but it didn't make much difference. She knew the only way to fix this was a long, hot shower.

After ten minutes of rifling through boxes, she found 2 towels and headed for the bathroom. It took a further ten minutes to work out how the shower worked and to find the things she needed. Once she was finally happy she stripped off her pyjama bottoms and baggy shirt and climbed under the water. It was hotter than she expected but she didn't mind, she could live with that. Even after she'd washed her hair and body she stayed standing under the water until it grew simply warm instead of hot. It was only then she decided to get on with her day.

She twisted her hair up into one of the towels and dried herself with the other before holding it around herself as she walked back to her room. She picked out her favourite Victoria's Secret panties (lacy but practical, giving her a boost of confidence) and a bra to match (extra confidence). Knowing she would be spending the day ahead cleaning and sorting through boxes she opted for her faded blue jeans and green tank top. She tousled her hair a little before scraping it back into a ponytail to let it dry naturally. Once she was happy with her appearance she left the bedroom and ventured into the box jungle that was the rest of the apartment.

She never ate breakfast, she was never hungry. She normally began the day with a jog but was unsure of the city so wanted to orientate herself first and possibly find a nearby gym that she could go to once every few days. But now she did begin in the kitchen, this was always the easiest place to sort. She organised utensils and plates and mugs and cups into their various new homes and plugged in new equipment. She reached lunch time and realised how hungry she was in comparison to how little food there was in the apartment.

She returned to her bedroom to apply a little mascara and lip gloss and gathered her purse and phone into a bag. She pulled on a plaid shirt over her tank top and buttoned it up hallway, it wasn't cold enough for a jacket in September. She picked up her keys on the way out and left the apartment.

The air wasn't cold but it wasn't warm either, it was refreshing. The sun gave her just enough warmth whilst the chill of the air kept her wide awake and alert. She remembered that James had given her a place to get groceries just around the corner but at that moment she was more interested in finding a small café or something to get something to eat. She knew that if she walked just up the road a couple of blocks and turned a right then walked a few blocks more, she would be at central park. She decided it would be a nice idea to check out the park as it would be a good place to go jogging in the mornings.

So she began the walk, it was a nice day and a lovely city. Occasionally she overhead people talking about Spiderman and about the Green Goblin and assumed it was a normal thing to talk about in this city. To the people that lived here these heroes and villains must have seemed almost normal, they were a regular part of their lives. In England they didn't have anyone like that, they had the villains but no heroes.

Central park was closer than she realised and soon after she'd begun her wandering she found a place that sold hot dogs and cheeseburgers. Convincing herself she would spend extra time at the gym to burn it off, she bought a cheeseburger and ate it whilst walking through the park. She decided that she loved the park, and would definitely jog through it every morning.

Once she had finished her burger she purchased a map and put it into her bag so she could map out her route. She then walked back the way she had come and found the supermarket she could shop in to buy groceries. She piled her cart high with groceries, knowing she was only there for two weeks but James would still need to eat and he was the kind of person who would forget to buy groceries and actually eat them.

She managed to get them into enough bags so she could carry them back to the apartment and was grateful it was only a short walk.

Once back in the apartment it was nearly 2 o'clock. It took her an hour to put away the groceries and a further two hours to finish in the kitchen and get the dining area into a considerably decent state. At five she was hungry again and knew that James would be hungry too upon his return from his first day. She decided to begin cooking an early dinner, ready for when James came home.

She recounted the groceries she'd bought and decided on a pasta in tomato sauce with sautéed vegetables and bread. She set to work quickly and was serving them onto plates as James walked through the door, loudly exclaiming that he had survived his first day at Oscorp industries.

"I'm home! I'm alive! I have not yet died!" he yelled as he walked into the kitchen/dining area. Tanya turned around and grinned at him.

"How was it?" she asked excitedly and he leant against the side of the counter.

"It was tiring. I don't think I've ever been so tired in my life."

"That'll be the jet lag." She replied, turning around and continuing to serve up dinner.

"Oh yeah probably." He smiled at her.

"Dinners ready." She said, turning back around and handing him a plate.

"Ooh aren't you a good little house wife?" he joked with a wink and gave him a mock glare.

"You call me that again and you won't be able to eat. What did you do today?" she leant against the opposite counter as she tucked into her own meal.

"They introduced me to their project and told me what they wanted me to be doing. They told me that it was a top secret project so you can't tell anyone…"

"If its top secret then should you really be telling me?"

"Who do you know to tell?"

"True, continue."

"Well, a lot of speculation has been flying around that our boss, Harry Osborn, is actually the Green Goblin! But apparently it's not his fault, like he accidentally injected this serum into himself because he was dying and he thought it would save him but whatever. Anyway, he doesn't want to continue being this crazy, green hobgoblin so he's hired a team of scientist, of which I am one, to come up with a cure. That's what I'm doing. I'm working on a cure."

"You said it was speculation?"

"Well it's not speculation that I'm working on a cure. It is speculation that it's for our boss who no one sees anymore."

"Harry Osborn is the Green Goblin? _The _Harry Osborn? I don't believe it." She said with a shrug as she continued to pile pasta into her mouth.

"Yeah. I don't know. I thought it was a cool theory."

"I wouldn't spread it around that you and your team are theorising that your boss is a monster who goes around killing people."

"You know it was never actually proven that the Green Goblin had any part in the death of that Stacey chick. Maybe Spiderman should have been a bit faster to save her."

"Oh so now you're criticising Spiderman?"

"Not criticising him, just saying." James shrugged and seemed to shrink within himself.

She shrugged herself as she finished her food and threw her things into the sink.

"Since I cooked and sorted out your kitchen for you, you can do the washing up." She grinned and winked at him as she walked past.

"Where are you going?" he called after her as she moved through the piles of boxes in the direction of her room.

"I'm going to get ready and then go out for a jog. I went exploring today!"

"You know it's dark outside don't you?" he yelled as she entered her bedroom and saw that, sure enough, the light was rapidly fading.

"I'm sure they have street lights in New York, James!" she replied and shut her bedroom door behind her. Once in her bedroom she shut the blinds and flicked on the lights. She pulled out the map and quickly memories a route that she could easily stick to. She changed into her jogging gear and strapped her iPod to her arm, securing the ear phones into place.

As she left the apartment she shouted a goodbye to James who had settled himself on the couch and was beginning to shuffle through papers which she assumed were for work. He mumbled a goodbye in return as she flicked on her jogging playlist and it began to blast loudly into her ears.

The city seemed even more awake at night and Tanya realised what they meant about the city that never sleeps. The lights brought everything to life and illuminated absolutely every colour and every detail. She loved it. She jogged lightly up the couple of blocks, having to stop every so often at a road but keeping going on the spot.

She reached central park and began to feel the familiar burn in her legs, she embraced it and used it to spur her on. She kept going deeper and deeper into the park. She knew she'd taken a wrong turn somewhere but felt confident that she could get out again. So she kept going, soon there were less and less people and less and less light.

She ignored the creepy sense that she was being watched and kept powering on, it started to get a little cold for her liking and she was in a part of the park where there seemed to be no one else. She saw a map up ahead and decided to stop and work out where she was. As she stopped she pulled the ear phones out and studied the map for a couple of seconds, panting.

"Hello sweetie!" a male voice yelled from the shadows and she jumped around.

"Aren't you a fine specimen!" a different voice crooned and two men emerged from the shadows. They swaggered over toward her with a look in their eyes that suggested their intentions were far from savoury.

"I'm just going. I just wanted to see where I was." She said and made to move off but they stood in her path so she stopped again. Adrenaline began to pump through her as fear spiked in her heart. One of the men produced a knife casually and held it in his hand, not as a threat, just a warning.

"I don't think you're going anywhere gorgeous. You're going to stay here with us. We'll give you all the help you need."

"I don't need any help thank you." She swallowed. She figured that if she stalled long enough then she could get her breath back and make a run for it. She could probably outrun them, she had been running almost every day for the past two years. She had a lot of stamina.

"Are you sure?" one of the men crooned, the taller one.

"We would love to help you find your way. In fact, why don't you just come on with us." They advanced towards her and she took a step back but forced herself to stay put. The taller man reached out and touched her cheek lightly, tracing his hand down to her jawline as he stepped closer. She stood her ground and refused to move, building up the courage to run but for moment frozen to the spot.

"We'll help you." He grinned and suddenly moved violently to place his hand around her throat. Before the knife had a chance to flash she quickly kneed him in the groin with a grunt and, as he doubled over, howling in pain, she turned and ran.

She didn't know where she was going, if she was running in the right direction or not, but she just ran. She heard a gleeful cackle echoing and assumed it must be one of the men so ran even harder. But then she heard something new above her, like the sound of jet engines. She turned and saw something all too familiar, getting all too close. The Green Goblin. She ran even faster and powered herself even harder. Her headphones fell, taking her iPod with them but she left them behind.

"Come and get me Spidey!" she heard the Goblin squeal in twisted delight and she almost cried out herself. Her eyes searched for somewhere she could hide but she knew it was no use, there was nowhere. She stopped suddenly and turned around to face the direction in which her attackers should have been pursuing her. She could see them running toward her brandishing their knives and she was tired now. She couldn't outrun them after all and now they would kill her. She stumbled back a few steps, clearly terrified and this seemed to spur them on. They were close now, almost on top of her. She took a large gulp of air, ready to scream. Spiderman had to be nearby if the Goblin had just been overhead, he would hear and hopefully help her.

She was ready to scream just as the jet engines suddenly got closer and closer and the two men seemed to slow with fear of their own, but they didn't stop. They were roughly five metres away when suddenly, there was a heavy arm around Tanya's waist and she was being yanked from the ground.

She screamed then, out of real terror. The arm held on tight and swung her around so she was securely standing on the deck of the Goblin's aircraft. The arm held her tightly but she knew this was no rescue mission, she'd just been there, she was right.

"Come and get her Spidey! Or I'll drop her from the top of the Empire State!" the Goblin screeched and soared suddenly higher and higher until they were almost in the clouds. Her fear of heights kicking in, Tanya instinctively flung her arms around the Goblin's neck and clung to him, screaming.

"What are you doing?" he seemed confused. His voice was high and sickly. He tried to push her away slightly, not liking the seemingly affectionate way she clung to him. It was anything but.

"I don't want to die!" she screamed, trembling now in fear.

"You're afraid of heights or of me?" he asked, he was toying with her and she could feel it.

"Both!" she answered honestly and she felt him chuckle as he moved both hands to her waist and pushed. Her feet lost their grip and her arms slipped and she fell. She screamed as she fell through the air, flailing as she fell.

She was caught suddenly, held in the arms of someone and as she opened her eyes she half expected to see Spiderman, but no. the Goblin was laughing gleefully at his trick and she reluctantly clung to him again, desperate not to allow him to see how frightened she was. He laughed for a few more minutes as she began to cry, but then suddenly looked pained for a second before looking at her. It was the first time they had looked directly into each other's eyes and she could see that there was a human there. A real life man who was possessed by this demon.

"Sorry sweetheart, looks like you're coming back with me." he crooned in his sickly sweet voice and began to zoom again. She screamed and sobbed and clung to him, screwing her eyes shut but it seemed to make no difference.

The Goblin finally flew in through a window into the bedroom of an apartment. It was a fancy apartment, Tanya knew this from the comfort of the bed she was thrown onto with a grunt. The Goblin ignored her, and relief washed over her mixed with terror mixed with thankfulness. Overcome with emotion, Tanya fainted.


	2. Chapter 2 (Part 1)

**Fourteen Days**

**Day Two (Part 1)**

When she awoke Tanya couldn't remember where she was. A blanket had been clumsily draped over her but something told her it wasn't an act of kindness. She knew for certain that she wasn't in her bed in James' apartment, the sheets were too soft. They were some kind of satin or silk, something that she only knew she couldn't afford. And the bed was softer than any she'd ever slept on. She forced her eyes open, slowly, terrified of light. But there was none, it was still night. To her right the window was still open and the drapes were fluttering lightly in the breeze. She remembered everything.

In the shadows in the corner she saw the outline of a suit and she knew it was the goblin's suit. Her breath caught in her throat before she realised that it was not inhabited. Clamping her bottom lip between her teeth to stop herself crying she sat up and scanned the rest of the room, she was alone. The door was slightly ajar and warm firelight poured through the crack. Pushing off the blanket she made her way slowly in the direction of the door. She realised her trainers had been removed and her feet padded silently on the polished wood floor.

Her hand closed around the doorknob and she shivered, it had nothing to do with the fact that she was just in her running gear. Keeping her lip clamped tightly between her teeth, she pulled the door open slowly.

It opened without a sound and she walked out into a long corridor, she was near the end of it near the opening where it expanded out into a large, posh living area. To her right lay the long corridor with about a dozen doors leading off it. Since the only source of light was the fire burning in the living area, it faded into cold shadows near the end of the corridor where a large window was covered with drapes that shone blue in the cold darkness.

The warm glow beckoned to her despite her fears, but she swallowed her fears and made her way slowly to the left in the direction of the firelight. Feeling exposed she pulled at the tie in her hair and let it loose. It hung about her shoulders and gave her a little more confidence to know it was covering a little more of her skin. She wished she'd brought the blanket to wrap around herself but she couldn't go back now. She couldn't return to the shadows.

As she moved farther into the room she saw plus, leather couches, littered with blankets and papers. She moved further into the room and saw a figure sat in front of a coffee table right in front of the fire. He was rocking backwards and forwards slightly and he was shaking. She imagined being that close to the fire he couldn't be cold. He looked like a frightened child and she thought she heard him whispering to himself, but there was just a hint of a whisper and then it was gone. She edged further forward. He looked as if he just threw himself forward a little further he would end up in the fire. She could only make up a mop of sandy blonde hair and a pale complexion. She'd never seen Harry Osborn before, not even a photograph, but something told her this was him.

Wanting to speak but not sure what to say she opted for clearing her throat. She took a breath and prepared herself but before she had the opportunity he spoke.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. But this whisper was louder than the others she'd thought she might have heard. This one was definitely real. She was scared, this man was the green goblin after all. But at the same time she was sympathetic, he looked like a hurt child who was waiting for his mother to return. She waited for him to speak again but he didn't. Licking her lips she moved forward so she was next to the coffee table. He was an arm's length away from her. In the firelight she could see more of his profile. His face was pale and sickly looking, there was a cut across his eyebrow that was encrusted with dried blood but had been left untreated. He had a scar across his left cheek. He was wide eyed, afraid.

"What are you sorry for?" she asked in a low voice. Her fear began to ebb but she kept her guard up. He looked up at her so suddenly it made her jump. His eyes glowed with insanity and anger.

"I'm sorry I didn't drop you and kill you. Now you're stuck here." He hissed and she took a step back with a sharp intake of breath. He scrambled up quickly and she observed the way he moved like an animal. Was he Harry Osborn or the Green Goblin? Was there a difference? They stood in silence for a few minutes, staring each other down until somewhere in the home a clock chimed and Tanya was able to count three. It was three in the morning and she was stuck in the home of a madman.

Her mind raced to analyse every crime drama she'd ever seen, how did the victims survive in the company of a psychopath? Empathy.

"You're stuck here just like me…" Harry said in a desperate tone. He looked at her pleadingly and she couldn't work him out. "The personal Beauty to my Beast." He sniggered and moved around to the other side of the coffee table, his eyes never leaving hers. There was another silence only broken by his occasional snigger. She gathered her strength and broke the eye contact, glancing down for a second before looking back up at him with a sympathetic look in her eyes. Well she hoped it was sympathetic.

"You're stuck here?" she asked in a quiet voice, hoping to keep him calm.

"Of course I am, the monster won't let me leave!" he cried, tears in his eyes.

"I'll help you." She said with wide eyes, hoping he would trust her. "We can get out of here together."

"Don't make me feel stupid. Don't treat me like I'm stupid." He growled, "Don't treat me like I have split personality disorder or something. I know who I am and who I'm not." He growled and she nodded.

"I know, Harry." She took a deep breath, "You saved my life." As much as she hated to admit it, he had. Those men were going to not only kill her but do much worse. "Let me help you in return?" she asked with a deep breath.

"He was not intending to save your life I promise you that." Harry growled again. "You can't help me. I'm as good as dead." He said as he sat down heavily, defeated. Trying something new she moved towards him.

"You are if you don't clean up that cut." she said quietly and he looked up at her suspiciously. "Will you let me?"

He considered for a moment and brought a hand up to the cut on his forehead as if feeling it for the first time. She wondered how deep his psychosis went. After a couple of moments as he came to terms with the fact that the cut was real, he nodded. She moved quickly then and rushed past him through an archway into a kitchen area. She found a clean cloth and wetted it under a tap. She then managed to find a first aid kit and she tucked it under her arm as she filled a bowl with water and carried that and the rag back through to the living area. She did all of this in the dark, not caring, just not wanting him to change his mind and turn on her.

When she returned he was sat in the same place in the same position. She paused a few feet behind him, questioning what she was really doing and whether this was a good idea. But she took a deep breath and forced herself forward. She stood over him and looked down at him for a second, he paused for a moment before his eyes met hers and he nodded slightly.

She set down the water on the table and dipped the rag in it again. She paused for a second before holding her hand up to his cheek to steady his face. She fought against her urge to withdraw it immediately, she kept it there. She even traced her thumb along his cheekbone in a stroking pattern a couple of times to soothe him. Their eyes never left one another's, she didn't dare avert her eyes for fear. She brought the rag up to his wound and licked her lips before dabbing it gently.

The moment the rag touched his skin he cried out with a hiss and his hand came up and grabbed her wrist, bringing her to her knees. She cried out in pain as her knees hit the floor and he pressed her forehead to hers. Fighting back tears she tried to pull away but he forced her back.

"That hurt." He growled and her breathing quickened as tears threatened.

"I'm sorry," she pleaded, trying to wrench her wrist free. "I'm so sorry but it's going to hurt. You have to trust Me." she begged. "Please."

After a moment's hesitation he released her wrist with a gentleness that surprised her. She saw him brace himself as she slowly brought the rag up again and touched it to the wound. He hissed again and flinched away but let her continue. The next time the rag came into contact with his skin he reached out and grabbed her wrist again and her breath caught in her throat and she froze, awaiting the pain. It didn't come, it was simply for comfort, she realised. She returned the rag to the wound and continued to tend to it with all the care she could muster. After a half hour of tending to his wound, she was placing a bandage over it gently. As she did she knelt up on her knees and placed it on with precision, when her hands dropped she was still close to him. She wanted nothing more than to be as far away as possible.

"I suppose you want me to say thank you?" he asked, his tone was softer now. He was like a normal human being. She observed the change in his behaviour and wondered if he would open up to her, if he would talk to her about how he came to be the green goblin, perhaps she could uncover some buried secret that could aid James in the discovery of his cure.

"You don't have to," she replied quietly, moving back and away from him. Standing up and collecting the rag and bowl together to be cleaned up. She had noticed that, aside from this room, the rest of the apartment was spotless.

"I want to," he retorted quickly with an eagerness in his voice. It was like he was angry again but this time with himself. "I don't know how to. I don't know how to move past the voice in my head and become Harry Osborn again. I don't want to be the green goblin! He's a monster."

She paused and looked down at him, captivated.

"That's why you have the team working at Oscorp on a cure…" she remarked under her breath and he stood up too.

"How did you know that?" his voice was tinged with anger again. His eyes flared but she took a deep breath and steeled her nerves. This was her opportunity to show she could be a friend and not a foe.

"My friend was recruited. We studied biomedical sciences together at Oxford University. He's helping you." She told him.

"Why aren't you helping me?" he asked, taking a step towards her. The lack of space between them intimidated her but she kept her ground. She wanted to keep them equal and him happy, even if it meant playing by his rules.

"I wasn't hired. They only needed James." She said. She hadn't wanted a job as Oscorp, she'd only wanted to help James settle in and then go back to England. England was what she knew, she could trust England, she knew what to expect of it and what it expected of her. She understood the culture, she knew she liked the food, she didn't want to be anywhere else. She was here for fourteen days that was all, just fourteen days.

"You're hired now."

"I can't be, I'm sorry I wish I could help but I can't be. I'm only in the country for a couple of weeks and then I have to leave. I have to go back to England."

"Well then whilst you're here you'll work on the cure." He said dismissively, moving away towards a drinks tray on the far side of the room. She noticed that when he walked he did so with an air of sadness about him. There was something in the way he hunched over, the way his head hung like a sad puppy, something that made her see Harry instead of Goblin.

"Why?" she asked, "Why me?"

"Because you're the only person in a year who's made me even feel remotely human again." He said sadly, turning around with a drink in his hand. He downed it hungrily and slammed the glass down on the polished wooden table. "You're the only person in a year who's given a damn! Who's said anything to me besides a plea for their lives! You're the only person who's treated me like a real, human being!" he yelled and crossed back to her. He grabbed her arms and pulled him to her so she was held against his chest so she dropped the bowl and it smashed on the floor. He shook her as he spoke and there were tears in his eyes. He was desperate.

"If anyone can find the cure to the monster inside of me then it's you! I can see that I can see it right in your eyes, you have to save me! You're the only hope I have…" he ended quietly. He was breathing heavily and tears were glistening in his eyes, his grip was still tight on her arms and placed hers on his simply for balance. Her own breathing was hitched as she tried to fight the paralysing fear that had taken hold of her.

He closed his eyes tight and looked like he might start sobbing as he slowly, ever so slowly, leant his forehead against hers. It wasn't a sign of romance or even of sexual dominance, it was a sign of desperation. He needed her acceptance, he needed her help. Her heart slowly melted and whilst she was still paralysed with fear, she felt it begin to subside as she looked at him. He was just a lost boy in search of his identity. He just wanted to be separated from the monster that took its roots inside of him.

"Please help me." he whispered after an age. She wasn't sure how long they had been stood there or what was going through his head, or even really her own. She only knew that she was exhausted.

"I will help you. I promise." She whispered in return and he opened his eyes. The look wasn't disbelieving, nor was it thankful. It was surprised and a mild form of shock. He was surprised that she was agreeing to help him. In that moment she saw the real Harry Osborn and her heart constricted in her chest. He looked like a lost, helpless child who wanted nothing more than to be accepted and loved and cared for. He just needed a little care.

"Thank you…" he uttered and then reared back and doubled over in sudden pain.

"Harry?" she asked, alarm in her voice.

"Go!" he yelled, batting at her attempts to help with a hand. "Get out of here! Run!" he instructed and when he looked up, the eyes of a crazy man met hers.

Without needing to be told again she turned and ran at full pelt towards the bedroom door. She flung it open and then slammed it shut behind her, she slammed it shut in the noise of Harry crying out in pain. She ignored it and pulled on her trainers quickly before crossing to the open window. As she did she realised the Goblin suit was still in the corner and her heart filled with dread.

Sure enough, moments later there was a banging at the door as Harry tried to force his way inside whilst keeping himself back at the same time. She flung herself at the open window and into the bleak morning sunlight. She thanked the stars that it was summer and that the sun was rising early in New York City. She began to throw herself at full pelt down the fire escape in an attempt to escape the Goblin but she knew he wouldn't be far behind. As suspected, moments later he was swooping down alongside the fire escape in search of her.

Nearing the bottom floor she crouched down behind some washing that had been hung out by the inhabitant of Harry's neighbouring apartment overnight. She hugged her knees to her chest and put a hand over her own mouth to try and muffle the sound of her heavy breathing. Goosebumps appeared all over her body, she was freezing.

"Where are you?" the Goblin crooned softly before she heard a grunt and the sound of engines grew fainter. Assuming he must have gone down the street in search of her she hurried down to the final flight of steps. As she was halfway down she heard the familiar screeching laugh of the Goblin and wheeled around to see him gliding towards her at full pelt. She managed to get the ladder down and began to descend it when he crashed into her. This time, however, he didn't lift her up into his arms. Instead, he allowed her to lose her footing and fall. There was a brief moment of weightlessness as she fell, then a sharp pain in her arm and a spark of green. Then a flash of pain and blackness.

When she awoke Tanya knew she was once again, not at home. The sheets were scratchy this time and she felt very uncomfortable. Noises surrounded her and she didn't like them. And her head hurt, God did her head hurt. It was like someone had taken a knife and plunged it into the back of her skull and then pulled it out leaving a sharp pain in one point in particular and then a dull ache throughout the rest of her brain. The brightness behind her eyelids combined with the pain in her head, combined with her memories from the previous night gave her one conclusion. She was in hospital.

Her suspicions were confirmed as she opened her eyes to the bright white surroundings of the hospital.

"Holy crap." She muttered and looked around for a familiar face. She had no one there, she was completely alone. Suddenly a smiling nurse was beside her and looked incredibly pleased as Tanya tried to pull herself up.

"Hello there you!" she grinned. "Did you have a nice sleep?"

"No."

"Wonderful news, wonderful! Now you had a bit of a fall didn't you? It's amazing you didn't do yourself more injury, really!" the nurse laughed and Tanya shook her head and blinked, trying to get rid of some of the pain. It only made it worse. "Now we don't know you so we're going to need your name, please?"

"Tanya, Tanya Green." she replied automatically.

"Miss Green, are you British?" the nurse grinned and looked impressed like Tanya had achieved some great feat in her nationality.

"Yes. I'm staying over here with my friend James."

"Does he live in the same apartment building you fell from?" the smiling nurse asked as she jotted notes and checked Tanya's eyes.

"No."

"Oh!" the nurse stepped back and gave Tanya a knowing wink.

"It was _that _kind of visit was it? Sneaking out in the early hours of the morning after a naughty night?" the nurse giggled a high pitched giggle and Tanya moaned as it hit her right where it hurt.

"No." she said again, bringing a hand up to her head. Her shoulder hurt. "What happened to me?"

"Well like I say you fell off a fire escape. You hit your head but it was only a little bump really you may have a slight concussion but the doctor said that as soon as you wake up you should be right as rain! You also hurt your shoulder pretty bad, we think you must've reached up and grabbed something as you fell to try and stop yourself. Do you remember?"

Tanya racked her aching brains, trying to remember.

"Someone caught me." she answered quietly. "Someone saved me."

"Probably Spider-man." The nurse said proudly and jotted down something else. "Aside from the head and shoulder a couple of scrapes and bruises but nothing serious. You should be absolutely fine by this evening! Now why don't you give me the details of your friend James so we can get you back on your feet?!" the nurse grinned.

"Oh no you needn't bother." Tanya said shaking her head. "I'll go by myself I'll be fine. I can't worry James he's at work."

After much dispute Tanya finally won her way and was leaving the hospital. It had warmed up significantly and she managed to get a glimpse of a clock and saw it was nearing two in the afternoon. The pain in her head was still strong but she knew that if she took a couple of aspirin and slept the rest of it off she would be fine by the time James got home and he would never have to know.

Setting off and ignoring the pain in her head she made for home, unaware of the gleaming green eyes that followed her every move.

**A/N: I was going to try and do a chapter per day but when this day hit 3500 words and I knew there was so much more that was going to happen I decided it was best to split it into two. I'll try not to do it for any more chapters but it may happen on some of the more eventful days of Tanya's visit to New York!**

**I would also like to apologise for the long delay in updates, over the past few months I prepared for and completed NaNoWriMo and then Christmas happened so all my fics took a bit of a backseat. Thank you for sticking with me throughout this period and I aim to upload a lot over the next couple of months especially to deal with the backlog/ make up for it. Thank you!**


	3. Chapter 2 (Part 2)

**Fourteen Days**

**Chapter 2 (Part 2)**

Sure enough, two aspirin and four hours' worth of sleep later and the pain in Tanya's head was all but gone. She realised upon looking in the mirror that she would be unable to disguise the fact that she had been injured badly. Her arm ached dully and her forearm was patterned with bruises where she had very obviously been grabbed. There was a graze across her right temple and a bruise across her right cheekbone. She didn't believe in caking it in make up so left it, she knew she would have to explain to James and probably put up with him fussing over her but she tried not to think too much about it.

Instead she decided to take a quick shower to try and remove some of the grime left over from the previous evening. As she stood under the pounding water she allowed her aching mind to retrace the events that had taken place over the past twelve hours. What had begun as an innocent jog in the park had resulted in almost being attacked by two men and then being saved by someone who was supposed to be a villain. She thought a lot about Harry as the water ran over her body, she leant against the tiled wall and braced herself so she wouldn't fall. The grazes stung a little as the water rushed over them but she ignored it to the best of her ability. Instead she thought about the enigma that was Harry Osborn.

He was so vulnerable but intimidating all at once, she was scared of him but at the same time she really believed he was searching for redemption and could achieve it. He was a broken monster but he wanted to be whole again and he believed in her to help him. Honestly, she didn't know if she could help him. Yes she'd studied at one of the top universities in the world and she'd passed the course and earned her degree with good grades but she'd never been exceptional. She'd never come top of her class or solved some great problem. She worked in a low level pharmaceutical company, she wanted to work on stem cells to help cure cancer patients but apparently she didn't have enough experience yet. For now she was settling. She couldn't cure Harry's problem, she was nowhere near that good.

The water turned cold and a shiver ran down her spine. She turned off the water and got out of the shower, realising she had achieved nothing other than standing under water for half an hour. But it had soothed her somewhat, she felt more relaxed and ready to get to work. With the towel wrapped around her she ventured out into the hallway where she walked into James. She almost lost her grip on the towel but managed to regain it quickly.

"Oh sorry! I didn't realise you were in there!" James laughed and Tanya blushed as she realised his eyes were examining her naked body under the slightly too short towel. She cleared her throat loudly to indicate where her face was.

"I'm making dinner. It's the least I can do since…" James began before he managed to tear his eyes away from her breasts and to her face. Here he noticed the graze and bruise across the right side of her face and he acted quickly. He took her face in his hands and moved it to the side so as to get a better look. He held it tightly and refused to let go as Tanya tried to pull away.

"Jesus Christ Tan! What the hell happened?" he exclaimed and she held the towel extra tightly with her right hand whilst she brought her left hand up to bat his away.

"I'm fine James, I just fell." She told him, she wasn't lying so she didn't feel guilty. Unfortunately, by batting away his hands she showed him the bruises on her arm. He grabbed her arm and she almost winced as he made contact with the painful skin.

"You fell? Bullshit." He commented bluntly and moved his hand up to her bare shoulder, tracing her collarbone with his thumb and making her uncomfortable. She took a step back and forced a smile.

"James, I'm fine. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to get dressed." She said firmly and tried to move forward but he blocked her and wouldn't move. They were chest to chest and Tanya was not enjoying it.

"You're not fine Tanya, you should go get that checked out."

"I've already been to the hospital. Listen, if you let me go and put on some clothes then I'll tell you what happened." She told him honestly. Whilst he was somewhat creepy, James was still her best friend and he would be able to offer a new insight into the events that had happened. He deserved to know. He seemed to think for a moment before reluctantly stepping to the side.

"Five minutes." He said as she moved around him. "If you're not out in five minutes then I'm coming in."

Ignoring him she slipped into her room and shut the door firmly. Scared that he might keep to his promise, she dressed quickly in sweatpants and a sweater. Once she was dressed she tied her hair up into a messy bun, ignoring the fact that it was still wet.

Knowing she needed to be in a more open space than her bedroom when she spoke to James, she ventured out. He was in the kitchen serving up a salad with croutons and chicken pieces. Admittedly it looked good and Tanya couldn't remember the last time she'd actually eaten, she was starving.

"Looks good." She said, leaning against the counter as James handed her a large bowl. She dug in immediately and ate quickly, desperate to fill the hole that seemed to have appeared all too quickly. He watched her as she ate and ate himself, but slower. She was grateful that he respected her enough to allow her to eat and not pressure her into answering any questions right away. They ate in a comfortable silence and Tanya allowed herself to block out the memory of what had happened in the hallway, they were normal again.

After they had finished eating and the dishes were cleaned they made tea and sat in the living area. The apartment was still a mess but neither of them had had the time to really concentrate on cleansing it in the past twenty four hours. Tanya sat at one end of the askew couch and James sat at the other. Their toes touched in the middle. It was a position that had been taken up many times before throughout their college years.

"So," James began but Tanya knew what was coming. "What happened?"

"I was out for my jog and I ran into these two thugs. They tried to attack me but I ran, they were about to catch me when someone saved me." she replied honestly and paused here.

"Spiderman?" James asked but Tanya shook her head.

"No. It was the green goblin."

"What?"

"I know it's weird but hear me out. I don't think he meant to save me, he meant to kill me but then he changed. It was like he stopped being the goblin and became who he really was."

"Harry Osborn?" James asked, leaning forward with a spark of excitement in his eyes.

"Yes, but don't tell anyone James. I'm warning you." She replied sternly and he nodded, completely captivated with her story.

"I won't tell anyone. So what happened? You fly around with Harry Osborn all night until he transforms back into the goblin and then he drops you?" James asked.

"No. he took me back to his apartment." James' eyes hardened and his body stiffened. The excited spark was gone to be replaced with a jealous anger that Tanya pretended to ignore. "It all got to me and I passed out. When I woke up I'd been covered in a blanket and my shoes had been taken off. James he cared for me. He's not the monster everyone seems to think he is. He struggles to care for himself but he tries, he just needs a little help. He needs that cure. He told me that I have to work on it whilst I'm here so I'm going to help you, and I'm going to need your help."

"He did this to you?" James asked in a brittle voice that could have been shattered by his anger that he was obviously trying hard to conceal.

"No, the goblin did. But it could have been worse. I think Harry's stronger than he realises. I think he has some control over the goblin but he doesn't know it yet. He just needs a little help."

"So how did you get hurt?"

"I fell off a fire escape. The goblin, or Harry, caught me at the last moment but I hit my head hard and ended up in hospital. I'm fine James, really. I just want to help Harry." He still looked apprehensive but relaxed slightly.

"Alright, I'll get my notes."

Ten minutes later they had pulled a glass coffee table over to the askew couch and had spread out all of James' theories and notes across it. Papers covered every available surface and James began to go through them with her.

"Okay, so we were given a sample of the serum derived from Harry's bloodstream and our first job was to isolate the venom as opposed to the blood. Fairly simple. But then we looked into how it had been fused into his DNA. Basically it altered one strand of his DNA, this one here, and that in turn altered the entirety of his being. No wonder he's mad he's been changed anatomically. We're working on finding a way that can isolate the venom from his DNA and then once we've done that we'll work on how we can turn that into a cure."

"But once the altered DNA has been removed, isn't it just going to create a hole?"

"Yes."

There was a pause.

"So what are you going to fill the hole with? You can't just leave a hole in his DNA, surely that's going to damage him."

"That's true. It could kill him." James said and Tanya noted the lack of emotion in his voice. This was just an experiment to him, he didn't realise this was an actual human life. "But how do you suggest filling a hole in DNA? It's not just filling one hole. It's filling millions of tiny, microscopic holes throughout his entire body." James explained and Tanya hated that she could see his point.

"Alright so we work around that. Instead of taking the approach that we're taking it out and creating a hole, we replace the DNA by inserting a new strand." She suggested and he looked sceptical.

"No one's ever managed that before."

"If DNA can be replicated I'm sure it can be replaced. Nothing's impossible and it's worth a shot. All you need is a stabilising agent and a placebo sample. It shouldn't be real DNA, that's what's caused the problem in the first place."

"That…" he drew out the word as he looked over the notes and mulled over her theory. "Could work. Holy shit that's actually genius." He sounded impressed and laughed a little in disbelief that he hadn't thought of it himself. "We trick his body into thinking its better, at the same time tricking Harry and he should get better."

"The psychosis could be removed." she nodded and grinned.

"It's a fantastic theory but it's whether it can work or not. I'll take it in tomorrow and run it by the rest of the team. We'll need a copy of his medical records and suitable stabilisers. We'll also need to start thinking about what can be used as a transplant placebo DNA. This is radical, Tanya if this works it could cure so much more than just Harry Osborn's illness! It could create so much more. What if we could work out how to transplant more strands of DNA into our systems instead of just replacing one?"

"Alright James let's not get ahead of ourselves, we just need to focus on Harry right now." Tanya scolded him lightly, but truthfully she was just as giddy as him. If she got credit on this then it could change her entire career. She would move on from low level lab work and could move into the career she really wanted. If she could find a cure for the green goblin then why couldn't she find a cure for cancer?

There was nothing more they could really do until they had Harry's medical records and had run it by the team the following day. Both of them were far too excited but they decided to call it a night and go to bed. Tanya retired to her room and changed quickly into her nightdress. As she lay in bed looking out of the window at the city lights she thought about how one day her own name would be in lights. And in her dreams, Harry Osborn was right there with her. The green goblin would be gone forever.


	4. Chapter 3

**Fourteen Days**

**Day Three**

When Tanya awoke the next the morning she knew instinctively that James had already left. She lay in bed staring at the ceiling and listening to the sound of the traffic rushing past her window for twenty minutes. She allowed her thoughts to flit from one thing to another and never really paid attention to what her brain was telling her. It was the most peace she'd had in a long time. She felt optimistic about the time ahead as she knew that things were looking up.

Eventually she pulled herself out of bed and stretched her arms above her head. She showered quickly and dressed in her jeans and sweater with her hair tied into a messy bun. Her bare feet padded along the wooden hallway floor as she moved through to the living area of the apartment. She sighed as she looked at the maze and multitude of boxes that were waiting to be unpacked and organised and she knew what her task for the day was.

After a quick cup of tea she set to work. She began by opening the large French windows that led out onto the fire escape. The air was warm and a slight wind blew inside seeming to wash away the dust that had already begun to settle. She pushed the couch back against the wall and positioned the coffee table in front of it. She placed a large floor lamp beside the couch in the corner and began to unpack the television set and accompanying DVD player. She placed it on the opposite side of the room, facing the couch and then stacked the empty boxes outside in the hallway. Already half of the room had been cleared and looked better. Deeming it a good morning's work she noticed that it was lunchtime.

She made herself another cup of tea that she sipped whilst she prepared a ham and cheese sandwich. Once she'd finished making it, she switched on the oven and waited for it to heat up before placing the sandwich inside for a few minutes. Once she was satisfied the cheese was sufficiently melted and the ham was warm, she took it out and sat out on the fire escape to eat it. She looked out across the street below and the many people who drove or walked below her.

New York was such a busy place, it was a place that confused her and entranced her all at the same time. She was confused as to why so many people chose it to settle. Why it had such good opportunities for people who came from all over the world, people like her and James. But that was the exact reason it entranced her. Because it held so much excitement, so many opportunities that she couldn't hope to achieve anywhere else. It held the promise of a new life. A life she didn't necessarily want.

She sighed and sipped at her tea before taking another bite of her toasted sandwich. She wondered if, somewhere, Harry was doing the same. She wondered if he was able to take care of himself. He was so skinny. She hoped there was someone making him lunch. She considered venturing to his apartment and ensuring he ate but she didn't know New York very well and she had work to do of her own that afternoon. So once she'd finished her lunch she climbed back through the window and washed up the mug and plate. Leaving them to dry on the draining board she made her way back through to the living area. Standing in the middle of the room, she decided that it would be a good idea to finish off unpacking and organising before going through her notes for the serum.

She began by moving all the boxes onto the clear side of the room to make the other side of the room clear. She then ripped open a box that held a flat pack desk and began to assemble it. This took her longer than anything else had. She kept catching her fingers and having to stop for a couple of minutes to nurse them back to working order before she could continue. But a couple of hours later she was finished and the desk was assembled in place next to the television.

Next she managed to assemble the accompanying chair, this didn't take half as long as it was much simpler. She cleaned up the boxes and plastic wrapping from the desk and chair and placed it all out in the hallway with the other boxes. It was all lined up neatly along the wall. Making her way back through to the living area she realised there were only a few more boxes left and she was sure that she could get the living area finished that day. She glanced at her phone that lay on the coffee table and saw it was nearing four. Depending on what was in the boxes, it might mean a late dinner for her and James but she was sure he wouldn't mind if it meant that she could finish off this room.

She unpacked the first box and found a lamp and some other various things to go on the desk. She set everything up and placed all of the papers onto the desk as well. Once she'd finished unloading both the boxes she put them outside in the hallway along with the others and found it was almost five. Walking back through to the, now completely unpacked, living area she noted it needed something a little more to make it homier. She closed the windows and found a vacuum cleaner. She vacuumed the carpet until it was presentable and then picked up her purse and phone and headed out. She knew she didn't have long and walked briskly in search of what she needed. Everything in New York was relatively within walking distance and it didn't take her long to find a shop that sold vases and then another that sold flowers. She picked out a bunch of white roses and spared no expense. If she was going to be living in this apartment for the next eleven days then she wanted it to look appealing.

She got back and put water in the vase, prepared the flowers, and placed them on the coffee table before cleaning up after herself. She stood in the doorway as the sun set and she smiled to herself as she observed her hard work. She was proud of the way she had turned a room into a home in a day. She was exhausted but she wanted to keep going to and look over the notes. She glanced at her phone and saw the time to be nearing seven. She wanted to begin on dinner for her and James, and admittedly, she was very hungry.

Wandering through to the kitchen she glanced through the cupboards and the refrigerator as she thought about what to cook for them. She couldn't cook pasta or salad because they'd had those dishes recently but she wanted it to be nice and healthy. She eventually found a bag of potatoes and there was still a lot of left-over chicken. Deciding to continue their streak of chicken she began to chop up the potatoes and then fry them for a while in oil, as she did so she preheated the oven to a high setting. As the potatoes were frying she tore up a slice of bread and mixed it with flour and an egg. Once she had her mixture she rolled the chicken pieces in it and placed them on a baking tray. At the same time she stopped frying the potatoes and added them in along with the chicken all onto the same baking tray and then she placed them into the preheated oven. Once they were cooking she ventured for some other form of green vegetables and found a bag of frozen peas in the freezer. She boiled some water and added them to it to cook them as the chicken and potatoes cooked in the oven. As their food sizzled away she cleaned up the mess she'd made and placed the washing up in the sink, ready for James to do after dinner.

"Hey I'm home!" James yelled as she was dishing up their dinner onto plates. She handed him his and once again they ate in silence.

"What's this?" he asked after a mouthful of peas.

"Home-made chicken nuggets and fries." She smiled as she took a bite of potato.

"How old are we seven? Besides I sometimes hate the fact that you're a health nut. Why didn't you just order in or something?" he asked but she noticed he quite happily ate his food.

"Well maybe we can order in tomorrow or something?" she suggested and he nodded.

"That sounds great. You cook too much, you must be exhausted."

"Just wait until you see the living room." She smiled. They finished their dinners and James did the washing up whilst Tanya took all of their notes and lay them out across the coffee table and floor so she could look over them all. She settled herself on the sofa and threw herself into her work until James joined her.

"This is great!" he exclaimed as he walked into the living area she had so kindly cleared for him. He laughed and she smiled weakly, eager to return to her work.

"So what did you do at Oscorp today?" she asked, wondering if he had any new developments.

"I requested Harry's medical records. Here." He handed her a file from his bag and she immediately flipped it open. "And we began to look at a list of potential stabilising agents. At the moment we're looking toward noryproxate. It's the most efficient and the cheapest." He explained and Tanya's eyes narrowed as she scanned his records.

"But it says here he's allergic to trichodamal?" she asked slowly and James nodded as he sat down beside her.

"Yeah."

"Well, trichodamal is found in traces of noryproxate. If you use that you could kill him."

"It's a risk we have to take."

"No it's not. You could use ploraflormine. It's just as good and will give the same effect."

"But it's more expensive."

"This is a man's life. You don't bargain with that. I'm sure Harry will understand if you dent the company budget a little bit in order to save his life." She said coldly, slapping the file shut and throwing it at him. "What else?"

"We began theorising algorithms to make the serum work. But we still don't have enough data." There was a pause as Tanya's eyes scanned the sheets of paper that surrounded them.

"We need more data about the serum that makes Harry the goblin. Pass me everything you have on the goblin serum." She instructed and began to collect specific sheets herself. James helped until she had a small pile in front of her. Once she had them in the order she wanted them, she began to read. She immersed herself completely in the notes and ignored any of James' comments. Eventually he grew tired and went to bed but she continued to read until she was finished. Once she was done she leaned back and sighed, running a hand through her hair. It was nearing eleven at night and she was exhausted and no closer to understanding the serum.

She knew that it latched itself onto Harry's DNA and replaced a strand of it but she didn't know how it could be removed or replaced itself. She didn't know how it altered his being or how they could combat it. She just didn't have any of the answers. Feeling defeated and pessimistic she decided to continue the following day but to give up for the evening.

She made her way back into her room and changed into her nightdress but before she was about to get into bed she realised something strange. Her bedroom window was open and the blinds were clanging quietly against the wall. She opened them for a second and surveyed outside to tell if there was someone out there. Deducing there was no one, she shut the window and bolted it before shutting the blinds and turning back to her bed. On her pillow lay a small envelope that she hadn't noticed before. She approached it cautiously and opened it hesitantly. Inside it read:

_Tanya._

_I need to know how you're working with the serum. I need to be cured. Contact me as soon as you receive this note. I will supply you with whatever you need._

_Harry._

She rolled her eyes and threw the note onto her bedside table. She collapsed into bed and flicked off the light, she had had enough of domineering men for a lifetime.


	5. Chapter 4

**The Amazing Spiderman 2**

**Day Four**

The light woke her up, combined with the sound of the siren blaring right outside of her window for a moment before it was gone. She sighed as she remembered, once again, her purpose in America and Harry's demands of her. She sighed again as she remembered the note that had been left for her. Opting to ignore it she forced herself out of bed and moved over to the window, ensuring it was firmly shut and bolted. She didn't want any more unexpected break ins or notes.

Taking a deep breath she pushed herself away from the window to begin the day. She changed into jeans and a pale pink shirt and scraped her hair back into a ponytail to keep it out of her way. Deciding to continue down her familiar beaten path she kept to routine. Padding barefoot into the dining room she finished unpacking; but there wasn't much left to unpack. She repositioned the table and chairs to suit her aesthetic needs and left it at that.

It was a similar situation with the kitchen so she unpacked the little that was left before looking on at the room with a sense of pride and achievement.

She didn't dare go into James' room, she decided that she could trust him to sort his room out alone and he didn't need her help with his intimate personal belongings. There was just a little left to do in the bathroom. As she placed the final box in the hallway she felt an overwhelming sense of pride that she had managed to put together an entire home in such a small amount of time. She smiled to herself and put her hands on her hips as she allowed herself to swell in her own pride for a few moments.

She noted that it was gone lunchtime and her stomach was complaining loudly, but she didn't want to eat anything in terms of a meal this late in the afternoon so she satisficed the growls with an apple as she collected all the notes she had on the serum. She found that James had left her extra research that she hadn't had the time to look over properly.

Throwing away her apple core, she set to work on the notes. She felt too confined in the apartment so opened the window and took a pack with her out onto the fire escape. The air was chilled so she collected a blanket wrap and wrapped it around herself as she sat on the fire escape and read through the pack of notes. Unaware that there were eyes on her…

…

"Harry?" Peter approached his former best friend slowly. Things between them had been rough since Gwen's death and, whilst he didn't want to be close friends with the monster responsible for her death, he didn't want to see him hurt himself either. He wanted to help him to get better so he could stop hurting people, or himself. Now, for instance, he was sat on the edge of the building in central New York, in plain sight of everyone. His suit lay discarded a little way away, obviously a simple means of getting to this exact spot. His gaze was fixated on a particular thing that Peter couldn't see as he stood so far back. He was hunched forward, captivated and oblivious to the obvious danger.

"Harry?" Peter repeated himself and this time harry jumped and craned his neck to look at him.

"Hello Peter." He replied before turning back to his captivation. "Please don't kill me today."

"I don't want to kill you Harry. I just don't want you to hurt anyone else." Peter explained coolly as he came up to the edge and sat beside the Goblin. He followed his gaze and saw him watching a girl on a fire escape. She was pretty, about their age, and was intently reading a pack of notes. She had blonde hair scraped back into a ponytail, fair skin and blue eyes. Peter could see the Oscorp logo emblazoned on the pack she was reading and deduced she must be relatively smart too.

"Who is she?" Peter asked and Harry didn't even move his eyes to look at him, he kept his gaze on the girl.

"Her name is Tanya Green. She's very special." He replied in a monotonous tone.

"How is she special?" Peter asked. "Does she work for you?"

"Not strictly speaking, no." Peter paused and thought about how to best word his next question.

"Is she your next target?" he asked slowly, sadly. At his question Harry grew angry and stood up with such a sudden force it gave Peter alarm.

"Why do you always assume that all I want to do is hurt people? Why does everyone assume that I just want to hurt absolutely everything I come into contact with? Why is it assumed that destruction had to follow me everywhere? Why does no one think I might want to help myself? That I don't want to be so damned cursed?" he ranted, pacing up and down behind Peter who slowly stood up and moved away from the ledge, toward the ranting lunatic.

"Do you?" Peter asked.

"Yes! I never wanted to get hurt or for anyone else to get hurt. I just wanted to cure myself. I was dying and I was saved, I just needed a little support and all I got was hate and denial. No one ever really tried to help me so I had to help myself and I've been paying the price ever since." He finished sadly and Peter nodded. He still didn't understand how Tanya came into it.

"I get it Harry. And I'm sorry, I really am. But how does the girl come into all this?" he asked.

"Tanya is the only one who's shown so little fear in me. She cared about me, she cleaned me up and looked after me when no one else had for so long and I've never felt more grateful to anyone. She agreed to help me. She's helping me find an antidote for this curse." Harry stopped pacing and stood on the ledge, looking down at Tanya who flipped the page and skimmed the writing before placing the page down with the other discarded ones.

"Harry I'm sorry. I had no idea how bad you were. But what if she fails?"

"You mean will I hurt her, or even kill her, should she be unable to help me? No, _I _won't. But I cannot speak for the Goblin."

…

As Tanya turned the page onto the seventh side of notes, she had an epiphany. She didn't know how or why but the knowledge just dropped into her head like Newton's metaphorical apple and she knew, theoretically, how to help Harry. She gasped and quickly gathered up the sheets of paper as she rushed back into the apartment.

She had realised that the very serum that had made the evil Goblin could be altered and reversed to create the cure for Harry. All she had to do would be to remove the poison particulates and replace them with an even mix of antibiotics and antigens to fight the disease. She assumed they hadn't thought of trying it before was because it was dangerous. If anything failed, if there were too many of either replacement particulates or too few, or it simply didn't work; then Harry could die. Or he could be lost to the Goblin forever. It was an incredibly risky procedure. But she was proud of the fact that she'd found it. She'd worked it out.

She began to jot down theories and atomic equations that could work but she knew she would need a theoretical tester before moving onto animal testing and finally, Harry. This would take time, if she began the next day she might have a hope of finishing the first phase before leaving but she would have to pass the idea on to the team. She wondered how Harry would take this news. Personally, she couldn't wait to leave the city and the mess she'd gotten herself into, far, far behind.

She kept working and reworking until she heard the front door slam and the smell of authentic, oven-baked pizza wafted through to her. She deduced James had returned. Sure enough, moments later he wandered through to the living room where she was sat in the middle of the floor surrounded by papers.

"Productive day?" he asked and she nodded. He wandered in and nodded, holding up the pizza box. "Me too! We're celebrating!"

"We're celebrating for me too!" Tanya grinned as she sat up on the sofa. James opened the pizza box and offered her a slice.

"Did you finish the apartment?" he asked enthusiastically but she could only nod as her mouth was full of cheese. "That'll explain the boxes. I'll get rid of those."

"I also made a breakthrough!" Tanya exclaimed, putting down her food and collecting the necessary papers to her chest with the intention of showing James and seeking his advice.

"So did I!" James shouted.

"For Harry?"

"Well, no, but it's really awesome! I'm really desperate to get funding to try it out." he explained enthusiastically.

"Okay well I have been focussing on the job we have and I've found these theories we can totally put to the test! But I'm going to need your help. But congrats on your thing, I'm sure Harry will let you work on that once he's cured." She said and he looked slightly crestfallen. She showed him some of the theories and he read over them in silence. He made the occasional correction and then handed each of them back in silence.

They continued to work in silence for a while until he began to talk about his breakthrough, at which point she stopped listening and continued to pay attention to her own work. Eventually he gave up and went to bed. She worked for a while longer before she too retired.

On her pillow lay a note, similar to the one she'd received the previous day. This time her window had been closed afterwards though.

_Tanya.  
I demand to see the work you've done. I am not patient and I had expected you to complete up to a sufficient level of progress by now.  
Contact me at once.  
Harry._

Once again discarding the note, Tanya fell into bed and slept peacefully.


	6. Chapter 5

**The Amazing Spider-man 2**

**Day Five**

_She was in a long, bright corridor. Everything was white and silver like a strange hospital but she didn't feel injured or sick. She couldn't place why she was in the hospital corridor or why she was wearing a ridiculous dress. It was a shimmering green dress that almost matched the colour of the goblin suit. It clung tightly to her body and fell to the floor in green waves. She was bare foot and the floor stuck to her feet slightly, a feeling that would usually make her retch but it didn't seem to bother her in this dream world. _

_Her hair was pinned up atop her head and as she glanced in a window that served well as a mirror she saw diamond and pearl grips holding it up and in place. She was even wearing makeup. _

_She heard a noise from down the corridor and jumped when she suddenly saw a pair of snake patterned heels lying neatly in the middle of the corridor about half way along. She took a few cautious steps towards them before finding her confidence and continuing to walk down the corridor and once she got to the shoes she slipped them on without another thought._

_Once again she paused here, she didn't know what to do next. At the end of the corridor was a set of mirrored glass doors and closer she could admire her appearance more. She had obviously put a lot of effort into her appearance, she was obviously going to an important event._

_She made her way slowly towards the mirrored glass doors and grew paranoid that there was someone on the other side, watching her and mocking her caution. So she opened the door and it led into Harry's living area. Except it was clean and light and was filled with many people all chattering and drinking from champagne glasses. Everyone was dressed as nicely as her and she wondered what the occasion could be._

_She meandered through the people aimlessly, unable to catch on to any of the words they spoke. She tried to decipher from their conversations what was going on at any time she caught a word it disappeared from her brain as quickly as it had appeared. She found herself walking into the kitchen which was cold and empty and she found she actually enjoyed being in the cool dark alone than the claustrophobic people. _

_She leant against the island in the middle of the room and closed her eyes._

"_Are you alright, dear?" her eyes snapped open and James was stood in front of her with a smile plastered onto his face. He was dressed in a smart tuxedo and his hair was slicked back._

"_What's going on?" she asked. _

"_Well we're celebrating. You cured Harry." James smiled and she felt relief wash over her. She'd done it. She'd managed to cure Harry._

"_Where is he?" she asked, she was desperate to see him and see how her theories had worked._

"_You can't see him." James said sternly and as she went to move around him he grabbed her arm forcefully and held her in place. She tried to pull free but he was stronger and pulled her back so her back was against the island again before moving forward, close to her and pressing her against the counter._

"_James, let me past." She said calmly, turning her head and trying to push him away, but with every push she gave him he seemed to grow stronger. She didn't like the way his body pressed against hers, the way his hands encircled her waist and gripped her hard._

"_You're mine. Remember?" James whispered into her ear before kissing her neck just below her ear. She pushed at him and began to panic. _

"_Let me go!" she cried but James grew stronger; his grip grew firmer; he was crushing her. "James!" she screamed but he continued to kiss down her neck. She couldn't breathe, she had to get away. The room was suddenly full of people, laughing at her and calling her slut. She cried and fought against his grip but he didn't relent, he didn't seem to notice all the people staring and laughing. And then there was Harry._

_He was watching with narrowed eyes, he was angry. She looked at him for a few moments and stopped crying out. She tried to convey to him how terrified she was, how much she needed his help._

"_Please." She whispered and Harry moved forward, out of the crowd. He was no longer the goblin, anyone could see that. But there was still something in his eyes that glimmered dangerously. What if she believed she'd cured him but really there was no cure? What if Harry was just genetically evil? What if there was nothing she could do? Or was he just protective of her for another reason? No, that was presumptuous and not a good thing to think about._

_Harry reached them and wrenched James away from her, he pushed him hard into the opposite counter where James doubled over and remained there as he tried to catch his breath. Harry went to Tanya and took her face in his hands. She nodded, answering his wordless question. He pulled her to his chest and held her close and when she closed her eyes once again it was just the pair of them alone in the kitchen and he was the only comfort she needed. The goblin was gone and Harry was a normal human again._

_There was a few moments of tranquillity before Harry was wrenched away from her and when she opened her eyes he was lying on the floor. Clearly dead and James was stood over him, covered in his blood. She wanted to run and scream but she couldn't, she was rooted to the spot and frozen in fear. James crossed to her and grabbed her hair roughly, tilting her head up so it hurt and tears sprung to her eyes. He pressed his lips to hers roughly and whilst she couldn't make a sound externally, internally she screamed and screamed and screamed…._

And she woke up drenched in sweat with a gasp. Tears were pouring down her cheeks without her consent and her pillow was drenched in them already. She forced herself to sit up as she told herself it had all been a cruel nightmare. But it was over now.

Realising the nightmare was probably due to the obscene stress she'd been feeling recently she decided that she needed to continue to face her fears and return to the spot where she'd first met Harry. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and donned her running gear, brushing her teeth quickly before heading out. She'd lost her iPod and headphones but she didn't care, she was happy to go without them, she just needed to let off some steam.

She ran all the way to central park and around it many times as the sun continued to climb through the sky. She pushed herself harder than she had ever before and it wasn't long before she felt the familiar burning in her lungs and sweat drenching her. She kept going further and farther until she reached a dense pack of trees around one of the lakes. Checking there was no one around she ducked through the trees and sat against one next to the lake. She sat there for a few minutes just panting as she recalled the nightmare.

The tears came thick and fast and she had no power to stop them. She wished she was home in England where she could go to her friends if she needed comfort but she was alone in this world. She couldn't go to anyone. She contemplated going to Harry's but she knew that the dream had been her own fears and wishes for comfort manifesting in someone she was trying to help. Harry had no feelings towards her in that way whatsoever. Truthfully she was glad of this, she would be more scared if he did. Besides, Harry was likely to be angry at her for ignoring his demands to see her so going to him now would be a bad idea.

She sat by the side of the lake, shaded by the trees and cried until the sun reached its midpoint in the sky and she realised how hungry she was. So she forced herself to get up; she wiped away her tears and she ran back to the apartment.

She made herself some toast and ate it quickly, wolfing it down as she realised it probably wasn't really an adequate lunch.

Then she stood under the searing hot water of the shower for a long time as she tried to imagine the fears that came with the nightmare being washed away too. She tried to imagine them floating away or popping like bubbles. She didn't care, as long as they were gone.

Once she was out of the shower she changed into her jeans and shirt and tied her hair up into a tight bun. Shaking off the events of her morning she began her day at one o'clock in the afternoon.

Having finished the apartment she began to flick through her notes but she couldn't sit there and theorise any longer. She was growing restless and whilst she knew she had a potential breakthrough she wanted to get on with something, put her theories to the test. Unable to sit still she retrieved her phone and dialled James' number.

"Hello?" his voice came through the phone and the sounds of a busy lab filled his background. It sounded like the perfect place for her to be at that moment.

"Hey James its Me." she said into the phone.

"Sup Tanya?" he asked chirpily and she put aside the memories of the nightmare. They had just been the concoctions of a stressed mind, James would never act that way.

"I was wondering if I could come in and put some stuff through your theory tester. I'm going out of my mind here." She told him honestly and she could hear his enthusiasm.

"Yeah absolutely! Come by and I'll come down and get you when you get here." He told her and she smiled.

"Thanks James." She hung up the phone and grabbed her purse and keys along with the relevant packs of notes she needed. Her arms were crowded. She didn't really know how to get to Oscorp and she didn't have a good enough working knowledge of the subway system so she decided the safest bet would be to get a cab.

She hailed a taxi and told the driver where she wanted to go. By the time she reached Oscorp the fare had come to thirty dollars. She handed over the money and noted how she was beginning to run out but she didn't pay it too much attention. She was sure James would reimburse her for the food money etcetera.

She entered the tall building and marvelled at the glass lobby. She didn't waste time though and made her way directly over to the information desk and asked for James. A few minutes later James appeared in his white lab coat and showed her up to the theoretical tester she needed.

"So what do you want to test?" James asked as he collected up his own notes and placed them all in a neat stack on the desk. Tanya donned a lab coat of her own and began to rifle through her notes to find the theory she wanted.

"The breakthrough one. And I want to combine it with the one we came up with about replacing strands of DNA. If we can combine those two ideas I think we're really on to something." She said.

"Okay, just don't mess anything up okay? If you do then Jonesy might kill me. The leader of the team." He clarified for her as she looked confused.

"Ah right. Well I will do my best to ensure Jonesy does not kill you." She smiled as she found her notes and placed them neatly aside before crossing over to the computer.

"Thank you for your consideration." He smiled and left her alone. She spent a good hour or so inputting the equations into the theoretical programme and making the necessary variations and changes as each one was proven wrong. Eventually she found one that would work but it needed time to run. Feeling majorly accomplished she sat back in her chair and rolled her head to try and relieve some of the tension and pressure.

She pushed her chair back to the desk and began to rifle through James' notes to see if he had anything new. She wasn't expecting what she found. It was nothing to do with Harry's cure and was instead focusing on a potentially very dangerous serum that had unclear outcomes.

"This must have been his breakthrough…" she muttered to herself as she looked over biological molecular transformations making the subject more defended against violent attacks. It worked like an armour. It was dangerous.

"Sorry?" a voice said from the door and she turned around suddenly to see a woman in a lab coat stood in the doorway. She had brown hair cut into a pixie cut and round glasses. She looked somewhat cute and somewhat scary. She shook her head suddenly and came into the room. "Tanya Green?" she asked and Tanya nodded.

"Jessica Jones. Jonesy. It's alright James told me about you." She said lightly with a tight smile that Tanya tried to return. "I also received word from Harry Osborn himself to expect you. You apparently have friends in high places."

"I wouldn't say I'm a friend exactly…" Tanya began but Jonesy cut her off.

"Whatever." She said and Tanya shut up. "I just came to give you this." She said handing over a small folded note. Tanya recognised it immediately. She waited for Jonesy to leave before flipping the top up to read Harry's untidy scrawl.

_Tanya.  
I demand that you come and see me. Immediately. Tonight. Or else.  
Harry._

Rolling her eyes, Tanya screwed up the note.


	7. Chapter 6

**The Amazing Spider-Man 2**

**Day Six**

When she was shaken awake by James she knew that something was wrong.

"What is it?" she mumbled as she lifted her head and found a piece of paper attached to her cheek. She disengaged it quickly and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She was sat at the table in the apartment and was surrounded by sheets upon sheets of theory.

"Tanya it's three in the morning. You need to go to bed and get some sleep." James said to her softly and she shook her head.

"I fell asleep?" she asked and he nodded. She took a moment to orient herself before she realised James was still dressed in his shoes and coat. "Hey if it's so early how come you look like you've just come in?" she asked.

"I just got back from work." He said and looked away.

"Oh right." She said and assumed he'd been working on Harry's cure. She yawned and admitted to herself that she'd love to go to bed so she forced herself up, leaving all the notes on the table. James disappeared into his own room as she stumbled into her one. She kicked off her shoes and tumbled into bed fully dressed, she was glad that she didn't have a note from Harry to look forward to.

As she lay in the dark, halfway between sleep and wake, she remembered the notes on the other serum she'd found in Oscorp. She didn't know if they belonged to James or not of course. She imagined if they belonged to someone like Jonesy then they wouldn't get out of hand but James had been the one to make proclamations about a new breakthrough. Worry tinged at the edges of her feelings as she thought about how James might have been developing that very formula that evening and that was why he was home so late. As her mind began to drift slowly she vowed to mention it to him in the morning.

But when she awoke and checked her phone she saw it was gone ten. She knew that despite the late finish the previous evening James would still be in work at that time. She rolled out of bed and noted with disgust that she'd slept in her clothes from the previous day. Shuddering slightly in her own revulsion she made her way to the shower.

As she washed her hair she thought over the events of the previous day. First, there had been the nightmare. She looked back on it now and was annoyed at herself for being so childish in the way she handled it. She hated how affected she'd been by some stupid dream. So she put it behind her. Secondly there had been the notes at Oscorp about the potentially dangerous serum that could seriously hurt someone. She wondered, again, if it was James developing the serum or someone more responsible. It wasn't that she didn't trust James, she just knew he was very susceptible to his own emotions and this could affect the way he used the serum he was creating. It worried her but she knew that thinking about Harry was more important. Finally, she thought about Harry's notes. She felt a tinge of guilt at not having responded to him, she could only imagine how he must have been feeling. His life was literally in her hands.

She got out of the shower and dressed before pulling her hair up into its customary ponytail and making her bed. She pulled open her blinds and for a moment thought she saw a flash of green. But it was gone as quickly as she believed she'd seen it.

As she poured herself cereal and settled down to eat it she switched on the news and saw that the goblin had done damage to the subway the previous evening and hurt many people. But no one had died. She sighed and switched off the television again, unable to cope with seeing what the goblin was doing to Harry.

As she washed up her bowl and spoon she realised that there was no point going into Oscorp today as the experiment wouldn't be finished for another couple of days at least. She decided it would be better to just stay at the apartment and try and sort out some of the notes. Over the four days she'd been working on this particular project she was amazed at the amount of notes and packs she'd managed to acquire, she had an astounding amount of paperwork and if she didn't file it all today then she knew she would never do it. Preparing herself for a day of boredom, she went back into the dining room where the table was still covered from her papers the previous evening. She was angry at herself for not embracing the modern age and filing everything electronically.

She took a deep breath before pushing everything, every last scrap of paper, onto the floor and giving herself a momentary feeling of pleasure as papers fluttered around her like oversized confetti. It made her think of real confetti, which made her think about when she cured Harry and she would have a party celebrating it. She allowed herself a couple of moments to indulge in the daydream before the last paper fluttered to the ground and she had to begin sorting through the ensuing mess.

Allowing all the papers to fly around hadn't really messed them up any more than they already were and as she stood ankle deep in them, she vowed to not let them get this out of hand again. She began by sorting them into three piled based on their three different theories, the DNA transplants; the altered serum; and the placebo effect. And then she added an extra nine smaller piles where the theories overlapped. As she filed each piece of paper in the correct pile she also ordered them so they were all relevant to the page before and after. It was long a gruelling work and as three o'clock rolled around she noted that she was hungry, exhausted and aching all over. She had been working for three hours but had only cleared half of the floor. She was beginning to regret the confetti move as she felt there must have been more order to these papers when they were on the table even though she knew in her heart there wasn't.

She stretched and yawned and went through to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. As the kettle boiled she remembered she had a pack of notes in her bedroom and wanted them to be included where necessary before she forgot about them and didn't file them. She didn't want to be behind before she'd even finished.

She walked through to her bedroom and felt the breeze from the open window before she'd even walked through the door. She ran down the last bit of the hallway and into her room, ready to confront Harry about sneaking into her bedroom. But when she barged in she simply found the window open and a note on her pillow. She moved across the room and slammed the window shut angrily before picking up the note.

_Green.  
My patience is run out and if you don't come and update me today then I'll…_

She didn't bother to read the threats that ensued and simply added it to the pile of notes on her bedside table. She snatched up the notes she needed and left the room.

After her cup of tea and a quick biscuit, Tanya resumed filing the papers and put the last piece of paper down on the seventh pile as she heard the front door open. She smiled down at her piles of paper and let out a deep breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding. Her back was aching immensely and she'd never felt more stressed in her life but she felt that, from the smell of Chinese, James would help relieve that.

"We celebrating again?" she called as she moved out to the hallway and James kicked off his shoes and grinned.

"Hell yeah we are." He smiled and held up the Chinese takeaway. She ran to take it from him and carried it through to the kitchen where she began to serve it up.

"What happened?" she asked when she heard James come into the kitchen.

"Well we got access to Harry's serum; bloods; _and _found a shortlist of potential stabilisers." He replied and she smiled, keeping her back to him. She was genuinely excited.

"That's great James oh my God!" she grinned and she heard him approaching but assumed he would lean around her to steal a vegetable off of a plate.

"Yeah, I feel on top of the world right now." He said softly as his arms wound around her waist from behind.

"James…" Tanya said sternly and her body stiffened in the hope he would take the hint and remove his arms.

"Come on. Just give me one night." He whispered into her hair before kissing at her neck. She was thrust violently back into her nightmare and she tried to shake him off but he held on tighter, his hands travelled upwards towards her breasts and she immediately began to panic. She found adrenaline fuelling her strength and she managed to shake so much that he let her go. She whirled around and slapped him hard across the face.

They stood in shocked silence for a moment before she pushed past him and through to her room. She slammed her door and immediately picked up the duffel bag she had with her. She threw a few items of clothing inside and pulled on her shoes. She added the notes from Harry and pulled on her leather jacket before she moved through to the bathroom and picked up her toothbrush and hairbrush, throwing them into her bag too.

Then she went through to the dining room and placed all of her piled of notes neatly into the bag as well so it was almost full to bursting. She picked up her phone and keys should she need to return for anything but she didn't intend to.

"Tanya?" she heard James call as she stormed into the hallway. "Tanya I'm sorry!" he yelled but she slammed the door shut behind her. He didn't follow.

She didn't know why she was stood outside Harry's apartment half an hour later or why she'd just knocked on his door and it wasn't until he opened it that she realised what had even happened and she was filled with rage. She pushed past Harry and into the apartment, throwing down the bag and immediately beginning to pace. She didn't care what he thought or what he said she would not go back.

"At last!" Harry said hotly as he followed her through. He remained incredibly still, watching her as she paced. His eyes burned with the same kind of rage she felt.

"Hey Harry it's great to see you too. I see the cut cleared up well, how's it all going? You're welcome for that by the way." she replied, just as irritably, but didn't stop pacing. She had to get out the energy.

"I know you got those notes!" he growled and she stopped and glared at him.

"This is about your stupid notes? I thought you would work out that I would come to you when I had news! And thank you so much for stalking me by the way, it appears that all the men in my life are creeps!" she yelled. All thoughts of fear from the last time she'd been in that room were gone, replaced by the burning anger she felt at that moment.

"I wasn't stalking you I was ensuring you lived up to our bargain!" he yelled back, taking a step towards her.

"Our bargain?" she asked in disbelief.

"Your life for my cure."

"Wow thanks you're so generous! We never had any bargain! What? Was Harry Osborn going to kill me with his bare hands or were you going to tie me up until the goblin emerged and let him do your dirty work for you?" she hissed. Both their eyes burned now with the inexplicable rage towards one another. His eyes gleamed with something far more dangerous. He remained silent, challenging her.

"Of course you were because the Goblin is all you have, Harry has absolutely no balls whatsoever!" she hissed and regretted it the moment she said it. He closed the distance between them in a second and grabbed her by the neck, slamming her up against the opposite wall. He held her there for a moments as she struggled for breath.

"Don't ever joke about that monster. He will kill you. As will I." he hissed before letting her fall. She struggled for breath as she crouched on the floor for a few moments as she coughed. He turned his back on her and began to walk away. Only enraged further she got up and ran at him. She grabbed his arm and whirled him around with a shout of anger, he was only caught off guard for a moment and there was a struggle before he grabbed the wrist that came up to hit him and twisted it behind her back which he repeated with the other wrist. They were stood in the middle of his living room, him holding her wrists behind her back with his arms around her. They were chest to chest, nose to nose, both breathing heavily. They glared at each for a few moments before it happened.

Neither of them knew how or why but in the next moment his lips were crashing down onto hers and his grip intensified on her wrists. She kissed him back with just as much passion as he kissed her, they were both spurred on by their anger and their need to take out this energy in some way or another.

Wanting to move his hands he let her wrists go before moving his hands down to cup her behind as she brought her hands up to grip into his hair roughly. Moving his hands to her hips he pulled her around so her back was to the couch and she was pressed against it. As the kiss grew more and more heated Tanya couldn't help but feel that somehow this was right. That somehow this was good for Harry and it was what she wanted. When Harry touched her she didn't feel like he was invading her personal space the way James had. She felt like he knew what he was doing and he was being respectful about whilst at the same time giving her something she'd never admit she wanted aloud.

She sat up on the back of the couch and he stood between her thighs, pulling her hips to his as he removed her jacket. At this moment she realised what was happening and broke the kiss. She was still insanely angry at him and she could see from his eyes that he was still angry at her. But this was something they were agreeing on, she just wanted to ensure that. Giving him a slight nod, she returned her mouth to his.


	8. Chapter 7

**The Amazing Spider-Man 2**

**Day Seven**

As the light woke her up once again Tanya realised with a sickening fear that she had been in New York for exactly one week. And that she had one week left in the city before she returned home. She had one week to find a cure for Harry or at least set the team on the right track to finding a cure for him.

She kept her eyes shut against the brightness of the light and shifted slightly, her finger brushed against skin that wasn't hers and the memories of the previous evening flooded through her. Her eyes snapped open and she was in the room she had been in the first night she'd been in the city, when the Goblin had brought her here. She turned her head and Harry was lying on his back with his head facing away from her. His chest was rising and falling slowly and his hair was messy. He was asleep and Tanya felt a stab of something at her heart as she noted how peaceful he looked. But at the same time she felt embarrassed. She wasn't that kind of a girl, she didn't sleep with guys after only knowing them a week, she didn't believe in one night stands. Even when she'd gotten drunk at university she'd never slept with anyone unless she'd felt one hundred percent certain. But she'd given permission, for some reason, for the previous evening to happen.

Not wanting to disturb him she slowly peeled back the covers and got out of the bed, intent on finding some clothes. Despite him being asleep she felt like he was watching her every move and found a shirt on the floor by the bed so picked it up and pulled it on. As she was pulling it over her shoulders she heard him stir and turned around to see him with an arm across his forehead, shielding his eyes from the sun streaming through the window, he was watching her. She stood there for a moment and they watched one another, she slowly buttoned the shirt up and stood there for a few moments. He smirked at her lightly and she noted that even though his modesty was covered he still seemed to hold something over her. She couldn't help it, she was attracted to him.

"Good morning." He smirked and she blushed a light pink.

"Good morning." She mumbled in return and stood at the foot of the bed, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as she gently tugged at the bottom of the shirt, willing it to be longer. She could feel his gaze travelling over her and it made her blush even more.

"Are you alright?" he asked and sat up. She nodded and then shook her head. For some reason she felt tears pricking her eyes and her breathing quickened. She was embarrassed and upset with herself for allowing herself to sleep with him and she had remembered how James had been the previous day. She remembered his hands on her and how she'd hated and then she'd let Harry do the exact same thing to her a matter of hours later. Anger coursed through which disintegrated into sadness. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed for a second before pushing her hair back out of her face and looking up to see Harry looking terrified.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry about last night it should not have happened, I feel like such an idiot. I'm just so embarrassed that I acted in that way, that I let myself do that. You must feel like I've taken advantage of you." She said between sobs and after a second he leaned forward and, continuing to keep himself covered with the sheet, crawled up the bed toward her. Once he reached the end of the bed he knelt up and leant against the footboard. He reached forward and gently took her arms, pulling her forward.

"Hey," he said soothingly, taking her waist once she was close enough. "Tanya, I'm grateful for last night. I didn't realise how I felt until I was with you." He said, he pulled her close and moved his hands to pushing her hair out of her face where it proceeded to fall back down. She continued to stare at the floor. He tilted her chin up so she looked into his eyes.

"Last night was the first night in a year I haven't turned into the goblin." He whispered and her heart leapt. "Tanya, you're my cure. I still have these feelings that I know are bad and I don't understand how it works, but you're changing me Tanya. You're helping me." he spoke quietly and slowly. She looked up at him, amazed at his revelations but also still disbelieving.

Without thinking she leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips. This kiss was different to the one they had shared this previous evening, this one was simpler and much more meaningful. It was soft but emotional all at once and before they knew it, it had turned into so much more.

Five hours later Tanya was dressed in a smart white shirt and plum skirt with black boots and she was walking into Oscorp. She noted how much she looked like she was actually there to work as opposed to being there without wanting to be. Since she and Harry had decided they had genuine feelings for one another she'd felt more inclined to work harder and look the part too. She wanted to prove to James that she could be just as strong, if not stronger, without him.

She went up to check on her experiment, using the pass that Harry had given her, and found it was still running. She donned a lab coat and checked all the signs. It was working, but it would still need a few more days to run. She began to think seriously about extending her stay in New York, she considered even returning to London for a few days and then returning and making New York her new home. She knew she was thinking fast but she was sure Harry wouldn't mind her moving in with him and then she could truly ensure he got better, they could be in a stable relationship.

As she thought about her potential future she flicked through notes that were sat on the desk and she was once again drawn to the stack of notes that had worried her a couple of days previously. She began to flick through them and she grew even more worried, this time she reached the last page on the stack and saw they were all signed off by one person. James. She realised that these notes were what he had been working on and her breath caught in her throat, he was proud of this. He had been proud of this work and wanted the board to approve it. She knew they never would but if he even tried to work on it he could seriously do damage to himself and others.

She shut the pack of notes and put them in her bag to show Harry and gain his advice on how to handle it. She didn't want to get James fired but she knew he wasn't thinking straight, she needed to ensure he was seeing sense before he did something really stupid.

"Tanya?" a voice said from the doorway and she turned around in her chair to see James stood there. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the forms she needed to complete to confirm she'd been in the lab, altered a few things and left the experiment to run for a few more days. She scribbled down her findings after that day as James walked into the room and over to her, she noticed how he kept a fair distance.

"Tanya I'm so sorry about last night!" he said and she signed her name on the form before standing and taking off her lab coat. She hung it neatly and picked up her bag.

"Tanya please listen to me!" he cried and she ignored him. "Tanya!" he said and grabbed her arm, spinning her forcefully around.

"Let me go!" she yelled and yanked her arm free. "Don't you dare ever touch me again." She hissed and tried to ignore the pain in her arm.

"Then please listen to me."

"I will never listen to you." She hissed. "You are a lowlife piece of scum." She spat in his direction and stormed out of the building, glad he wasn't following.

She had spent longer in Oscorp than she had intended and she was sure that Harry would be anxious by that point so hurried back to his apartment. She knocked on the door and examined her arm where James had grabbed her, a bruise was already beginning to form. She grimaced down at her arm as Harry opened the door.

"Hey." She greeted him as he let her in and he noticed the bruise.

"What happened?" he asked icily and she simply walked through to the living area and noticed that Harry had cleaned up and even opened the curtains so natural light was flooding the room. It seemed much brighter and airier. She placed her bag down on the floor and sat on the couch. Harry stood beside her and glared down at her as he repeated his question.

"I ran into James." She replied. "He wasn't happy about how we ended things last night."

"What happened last night?"

"He tried to…" she found her voice trailing off and her confidence crumbling as she remembered the humiliation and fear she'd felt as she'd thought he was really going to try to do something worse than touch her inappropriately. She stared down at the floor and bowed her head, Harry sat beside her slowly.

"Tanya, what did he do?" he asked her firmly before reaching across and taking her hand. He wanted her to feel like he was protecting her, Tanya understood that, but she felt more persecuted than ever.

"We just argued." She smiled at him and pulled her hand from his in order to reach down into her bag and retrieve the notes she'd brought back. "The good news is the experiment is working and it's all looking positive."

"That's great!" Harry exclaimed and Tanya nodded.

"It's all going to be alright in the end." She didn't know if the lie was more for Harry or herself.


	9. Day 8

**The Amazing Spider-Man 2**

**Day 8**

The sun had not yet risen over New York City, the clock had not yet struck even three, and yet James was already hard at work in his lab in Oscorp. There was a deserted eeriness about the way only the sound of whirring machinery accompanied him, the lack of humanity should have put him on edge, he knew that. But in some way he preferred it this way, other people made him feel uncomfortable and crowded, he enjoyed the solitude and the feel of just himself and the work, it made him concentrate harder.

The stack of notes he had on Harry's serum sat in a singular drawer in his desk. Honestly, he was proud of the way he had been in America just over a week and had already achieved so much. He was proud of his intellect and he wasn't ashamed to admit that. He knew that Tanya had contributed most to the work Harry had assigned to them and so he hadn't seen a problem in starting a new project, he had but his intellect to the best use and begun working on something should Tanya and the rest of the team fail. He hadn't given up the cure for Harry, he just had a back-up plan, if anything he was the most resourceful one there. The so called 'Amazing' Spiderman had thus far failed to take down the Goblin so it lay to someone else, in his eyes, to him.

The anti-goblin serum was derived from what had made Harry so dangerous in the first place. He knew that they needed to have a chance at taking out the goblin and at that moment in time, they had nothing.

It was these notes that were spread across his desk, it was these experiments he was running. He began by isolating the separate components to the goblin serum and identifying the effect of each different one. The job would have been easier if he had the original notes but they had been destroyed a long time ago. So he worked from what he had, it took twice as long but he was an efficient worker. Besides, what he was doing didn't take much brain power. He simply typed an algorithm into the computer and then monitored the results before double checking them, he didn't have to think too much.

Therefore he allowed his mind to wander to the only other important thing in his life. Tanya. He had specifically brought her from England because he knew she was loyal and would be more than willing to him, she was altruistic. But in his mind he knew that he wanted more. He desperately clung to the notion that despite the way she'd acted towards him, she still did too. Part of this series of experimentation was designed to impress her, to show her that he was better than Harry. He suspected that she and Harry had begun something a little more personal than a working relationship. This was only a minor reason but it was still one that contributed to his dedication towards the project. Harry didn't understand that he had been there first, that Tanya belonged to him.

Tanya was the reason he worked so hard. He adored her, he was obsessed with the very subject of her existence. He didn't understand how she couldn't understand how much he loved her and wanted to be with her. He didn't understand why she wouldn't even give him a shot after she'd come all this way out to America just to be with him. In his mind when they'd first come to the country he had been sure he could convince her that they were meant to be together and would convince her to stay longer. But now she wasn't even living in the same apartment as him.

As the memories of her rejection flooded back to him then he grew even more angry and upset. Red tinted his perception of her, and whilst she remained on the pedestal he would forever place her upon, in a way he was so angry he couldn't even concentrate. He turned his face away from the computer screen and breathed heavily as anger overtook him. He had been denied a basic right in his eyes, she was there for him to take for him to have. If she didn't understand that then she needed a lesson in where they stood, in how they're relationship was supposed to work.

He stood up suddenly and paced back and forth as he tried to work off some of his anger, mid-stride the computer beeped. He stopped suddenly and turned to face the computer. He could see from where he was that the programme had finished running and was ready for review.

He forced his thoughts of Tanya to the back of his mind and walked over the computer, sitting down heavily. He scanned over the results and his erupted into a manic grin. It had worked. He was so sure of his results he knew that he could begin testing now and have the serum right within a few months, maybe even weeks. He would have a combat for the Goblin long before a cure, he was optimistic about that.

He checked his clock and saw it was nearing four in the morning. He knew that the board would take their first meeting of the day at seven and no other meetings until at least nine. That was the earliest he could demand their attention and funding. He dialled up the appointment and quickly hacked the server in order to book himself in. he demanded that time slot.

Content that there was no more to do, he collated his notes before heading to the break room and taking a nap.

Four hours later he was awoken as Jonesy came into the break room for her morning coffee. She jumped and screamed when she saw him and he jolted awake in surprise.

"Morning to you too Jonesy." He said groggily as he sat up and ran a hand through his black hair. He didn't care that it made it stand on end, he would comb it.

"Did you sleep here James?" Jonesy asked, taking a step back, her back hitting the counter.

"I took a power nap. What time is it?" he asked.

"Just gone eight. I'm the first one in." she replied, she didn't move, she remained stiff. He groaned and stood up, stretching and cracking his back, neck and knuckles.

"I need to get ready." He groaned and she smiled slightly.

"You need a shower." she said, attempting to lighten the mood but he laughed bitterly and shook his head.

"They have showers here?" he asked.

"No, you need to go home and take a shower James. Your work can wait." She attempted to sound comforting but he shook his head.

"No time. I have a meeting with the board in less than an hour." He said triumphantly.

"You want to go to a meeting with the board looking like that?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, she began to relax as the shock of finding him asleep wore off. She slipped back into her natural persona and turned around to begin to make her coffee. "You want some coffee?" she asked and as James looked at her he marvelled at how much the curvature of her neck resembled Tanya's. He remembered how he had kissed the back of that neck and whilst she'd struggled he knew she'd liked it. He walked forward now and placed his hands on her waist, he felt her stiffen and he pressed his lips to the back of her neck. Closing his eyes as he remembered Tanya's scent.

"James, get off of me." Jonesy's voice came from somewhere far off. "James this is not appropriate!" she said, louder this time. Before there was a sudden shove and his eyes snapped open. She had pushed him backwards but only a step, she herself had backed away quickly, looking terrified as she backed against the wall.

"It was just a joke." James said with a laugh that charmed everyone. It didn't soften Jonesy. She watched him leave the break room and resumed making her coffee, trying to see the funny side.

James entered his meeting with the board ten minutes late and looking a state. He hadn't even run a comb through his hair. It had taken him longer than he had anticipated to collate all of his notes and print off the necessary results to his algorithm test. He was exhausted and wished he'd taken the offer of the coffee that morning. His skin was pasty, his hair was sticking out at all angles and his eyes were hollow and dark.

He presented his ideas with the genuine enthusiasm he felt for them and explained the reasons as to why they made so much sense, as to why they were necessary.

"Stop." A middle aged, bald man at the head of the table held up a hand after ten minutes of James explaining his ideas.

"What is it?" James asked, stopping suddenly with a stillness that unnerved them all.

"All of this, it's wrong." The bald man said and James cocked his head ever so slightly at a dangerous angle.

"Wrong?"

"Yes. We cannot approve this. It's _dangerous_." He said and James stiffened.

"I think you miss the point of my reasoning. This is necessary to the protection of this city!" James said angrily, his voice raising in pitch.

"This will not protect the city, it will destroy it. I'm sorry, but it's a no. now please return to working on the project that has been assigned to you." The man said and the board stood and left James alone.

Anger swelled inside of him more powerful and dangerous than anything that had happened with Tanya. He gathered all his notes to his chest and made a snap decision. He would not give up on what he had worked so hard on just because some old men didn't see the progression and necessity of it. He would not just give up his work. He decided that if they wouldn't allow him to test on animals or hypothetical resources, he would just have to begin with himself.

He had made a prototype of the serum for visual purposes more than anything but he knew it would work. He knew he could use it. He dumped his notes on his desk before finding a store cupboard he knew no one ever went in. he locked it and in the darkness he thought of Tanya for a few moments. He thought about how proud she would be of him, of how much she would truly want to be with him.

He injected the serum into his arm as he thought of her and how much he loved her. There was nothing for a couple of moments before a power seared through him like a heat. But the heat got more and more intense until it was a burning pain that was cooking him from the inside out. He grunted and fell to his knees and then to the floor as he lay in intense pain he thought of Tanya. About how this was her fault. About how much he loved her. Her image was the last in his mind before his vision clouded and went dark.


	10. Chapter 9

**The Amazing Spider-Man 2**

**Day 9**

Stifling a yawn, Tanya swiped her key card to let her into the lab that was running her experiment. She carried a cup of coffee in her right hand and balanced a stack of notes in the crook of her left arm. The sun was up and New York City was awakening but it had only just gone six, she wanted to check in on the experiment early so as to avoid James at all costs.

She took a sip of her coffee as she placed down the notes on the desk and put the cup down before taking off her blue coat and replacing it with a white lab coat over her burgundy skirt and grey shirt, her hair was already pulled into a neat ponytail on the back of her head but she pulled it out from beneath the coat and checked its stability anyway.

First she checked on the experiment and checked that it was all running smoothly. She saw that a couple of variations hadn't worked and the hypothetical test subject had deceased. She sighed in frustration before checking on the more successful attempts. They were running smoothly and she couldn't predict any more speed bumps, but then again she hadn't predicted the problems in the ones that had failed. She keyed in the variations and set up the failed experiments to run again. One of them failed within seconds and she groaned before abandoning that run and opting to concentrate on the others.

She set them all up and monitored the results for a few minutes before leaving them to run and write down her results, reasoning and hypotheses. She wanted to be thorough in case any of this research was published, she knew she should start on the paper before everything went out of her mind but she couldn't bring herself too. Just in case she failed, she couldn't bear to look at a paper which constantly reminded her of her failures. She had enough of those.

Suddenly she heard a loud crash followed by a groan and a low chuckle. She jumped and wheeled around but the lab was deserted. No one else was in that section of the building yet she knew that, she'd not seen anyone when she'd come in and she would have heard something before if someone had come in.

Tanya stood slowly and walked towards the door, she hated how the big companies had made the decision that until most employees were in the lights had to remain off. She supported how it supported the Earth but at moments like these it frightened her. Only a few lights were switched on the rest of the lab was in eerie darkness, the machinery whirred noisily like a hushed whisper and her breathing seemed to echo around her.

There was another crash at the far end of the lab and another low chuckle and she walked forward, she was sure it was just someone playing a prank on her to which she could yell at them for a few minutes before returning to her work. For a second she worried it might have been the Goblin, come to sabotage their hard work. But she was sure that if it was then he would be rampaging around much faster and more violently with the intent of doing as much damage as possible. Besides, she had left Harry sleeping peacefully that morning and she was sure he wouldn't wake until she got back.

She walked through to the other end of the lab and rounded a corner. A cupboard door stood open at the far end of the hallway and leading from it was a mess of objects. She investigated further and found a pair of legs sticking out from underneath a lab top. She recognised the shoes.

"James?" she asked loudly, her own voicing startling her.

"Tanya…" James whispered. She couldn't see his face and his ominous whisper frightened her a little, the shadows made everything more frightening.

"James come out from under there. Have you been drinking or something?" she asked and he slowly crawled out. He instantly reminded her of how Harry was when he was the Goblin except he was more put together, he was more sane and in control of himself.

"Tanya look at this…" James grinned with filed teeth. He flicked his wrist lazily and a glass thermometer flew across the room and smashed into the opposite wall. He had not touched it.

"James how did you do that?" Tanya asked with fear and awe in her voice.

"No one believed me. No one believe I could do it. But I believed in me. I did it." He said. He stood hunched a little in front of her. His hair was wild and manic and his teeth were filed and a glistening white. His eyes were darker, where they had been brown hey were now almost black. They daunted Tanya more than anything else. His fingers were elongated and his nails were ripped and bloody.

"James we need to get you to a hospital." She said as she surveyed him.

"No. we'll need to get the Goblin to a hospital." He whispered in his eerie, mutated voice.

"What?" Tanya asked, suddenly brought to attention.

"I created this. I created me in order to defeat the Goblin. We can take him out and I can be the hero. I'll be the one to save New York, not some spider kid. Or I could be. watch." He instructed her and then he morphed right in front of her. He immediately lost his deranged sense and he was the charming James she'd first met at university. His hair was styled neatly with a small quiff at the front, his nails and hands were normal, his teeth sparkled their usual white. The only things that remained the same were his deep black eyes.

"I can be whatever or whoever you want me to be." he said smoothly before reaching out his hand as if he was asking for her. She kept hers firmly at her sides and he waited a moment before sighing and flicking his wrist again. Tanya let out a slight scream of surprise as she felt her feet leaving the ground and she was propelled forward, toward him. He caught her neatly around the waist and held her close. She put her hands on his chest and immediately pushed him away.

"James! Stop this! You're sick! That serum is no good, we've proven that. And I do not want to be with you." She explained slowly and calmly despite the fact that her heart was beating in her chest so fast she thought it might burst out.

"I thought that me being like tis would change your mind." He replied, confused.

"No." she said firmly. "No James, you see I'm… I'm sort of with Harry now." She decided that honesty was the best policy. She didn't expect to be wrong.

"Harry? Harry Osborn, the monstrous Green Goblin? You're with that monster?" he yelled suddenly making her jump. He took a step toward her and she took a counter-step back and prepared to defend herself. She could see tears in his eyes but she had expected this.

"He's not a monster James. And you don't have to be either. Once we've found a way to help him we'll help you too. We'll get you back to normal and everything can go back to how it was. You'll carry on working here and I'll go back to England and…"

"No!" James roared suddenly and Tanya jumped back in fright but James was already there, his grip tight on her arm like iron. She tried to relax and pretend like none of it was really happening but fear was bubbling inside of her and threatening to spill out and show itself.

"You are a traitor. You're a lying, cheating little slut whore and you're going to pay for what you've done. First, I'm going to kill your little boyfriend and then I'm going to give you a choice, you're either going to choose me willingly or I'm going to kill you too. I don't want an answer now, just know that I'm very much into tying people up. And I think you'd look great with one of my ties around your neck." He hissed into her face as one of his hands closed around her throat, he applied a little pressure, just enough to make her feel uncomfortable like she was unable to get any air.

He took a step back after a moment and a second later he was gone. She stood in shock for a few moments before running back to the experiment and setting it up to run. She flung off her lab coat and pulled on her blue coat before picking up her notes and leaving the building as fast as she could.

As she was leaving the rest of the workers were entering the building to begin their days. She received a few odd looks and walked straight into Jonesy by accident.

"Oh my goodness I'm sorry!" she exclaimed but Jonesy shrugged her off.

"It's fine. Um, Tanya right?" Jonesy asked and Tanya nodded.

"Yeah." She replied.

"You're James' friend."

"I wouldn't call us friends."

"That's what you said about Harry Osborn, yet here you are. Listen, Tanya, if I can give you any advice get out now. Just leave. Go back to England and get away from this place because it's not the people in this place that are poisoned. This place is the poison. Get out of here whilst you still can, before you get hurt." Jonesy said and before Tanya could reply she hurried away.

She walked back to Harry's apartment and looked over her shoulder the entire time. She didn't believe that James, her friend for so many years, had a bone in his body that meant he was capable of killing. Even more so she didn't believe he could kill her. But he had threatened both her and Harry and that meant she couldn't keep it from wasn't fair on him to not have the opportunity to defend himself when she knew that James might be around every corner.

She knocked on the door to the apartment impatiently, hopping from one foot to another and when Harry opened the door she barged through. She pulled off her coat and hung it up neatly on a coat rack. Harry followed her through to the sitting area where she placed the stack of notes down on the coffee table. Harry stood behind the couch, waiting patiently. Once she was ready she stood and looked at him whilst she took a deep breath.

"Something happened today." She said with a sigh.

"Today? It's nine in the morning. I woke up and you were gone. I was worried. Where did you go?" Harry asked in his monotonous anger.

"I went into Oscorp to check on the experiment. It's all going okay I had to modify some of the failed experiments and one of them is completely failed but there are some that are still good to go." She explained and he raised an eyebrow in response. "Okay. But James was there and he wasn't right."

"Wasn't right how?" Harry asked, more curious than angry.

"He used your serum and adapted it. He's created a new form of Goblin essentially except he's more dangerous." Tanya said and Harry once again silently urged her on. "I told him about us and he threatened to kill you and then me. He wants to kill us Harry."

"Son of a bitch." Harry said flatly and began to stride toward the door.

"Harry!" she shouted, running after him and grabbing his arm to spin him around. He yanked his arm free of her grip and continued in the direction of the door.

"He threatened to kill you Tanya. That's not acceptable." He said glumly.

"I know that Harry but what are you going to do? Call the police?" she asked, hurrying after him and grabbing his arm again. Once again he pulled it free.

"No. I'm going to kill him first." He replied in a completely serious tone and Tanya stopped suddenly, the breath knocked out of her as she struggled to process what Harry had just said to her.

"Harry no." she whispered as he left the room and ventured out into the hallway. "Harry! No!" she repeated in a shout as she ran after him and rounded him to stand in front of him. She stood in front of him with both of her palms extended towards him, they hovered just in front of his chest and he stopped. He glowered at her but she refused to allow herself to feel intimidated. She had felt so intimidated in a single weekend she was getting sick of it, she was determined to regain control over her own life, to regain at least a little control over something she could at least have control over.

"Tanya. Move." Harry growled and she stood her ground.

"Harry if you go out that door with the intention to kill him, if you do kill him. Then you are just as bad as he is." She said.

"He threatened to kill you!" Harry yelled. "I'm not allowed to let that pass."

"I'm not saying you should. But if we show him his childish taunts have scared us then he has the upper hand. He has control over us. We have to act like there's nothing wrong, we cannot retaliate to him or it's only going to make things worse."

"I'm trying to protect you."

"Then protect me when he comes after me. But for now I'm here, I'm safe. You don't have to protect me. And even if that time does come you do not want to kill him. You want to overcome these feelings right? Remember how much you want to change."

"Change?"

"Yes Harry. Show me you've changed, show me that murder isn't the only thing on your mind now. Show me that you're not the Goblin, you're Harry Osborn. Please don't kill him." She begged, taking the step forward and resting her fingertips lightly on his chest. He seemed to stiffen slightly before he bowed his head and nodded it gently.

"Alright." He conceded. "You're right. I have changed and I need to show you that. I need to show you I don't want to be the Goblin. I just don't want you to get hurt. Not after everything you've done for Me." he said and took a sudden step forward. He wound his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Her hands were still caught on his chest and the rest of her was pressed there to join him in a moment. He held her close and kissed her forehead.

"I can't lose you." He whispered to her. "I need you. You are my cure."


	11. Chapter 10

**The Amazing Spider-Man**

**Day 10**

Tanya did the last button up on her blue and white pinstriped shirt before ensuring her hair was securely tied into the hairband. She looked down at the bag of her things and wondered how much she'd left at James', she knew that she would have to go back to get the rest of it before returning to England. She knew that she would have to face him again and then go. She didn't know how to break this news to Harry. She had four days left with him and then she didn't know what would happen. But right now there was only four days left.

She was wearing her shirt and black leggings, her feet were bare and the floor was cold against them but she walked from the bedroom and through the living room into the kitchen. Harry was in there dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans, his hair was messy and his cuts still marred his face but there was colour in his cheeks. He was making coffee and breakfast. The sun was pouring through the curtains and everything seemed so normal. She allowed herself to believe that if she left Harry would be fine, he would be able to cope absolutely fine without her. She wasn't necessary to him, he was a grown man and he could survive without her.

"Hey, you want coffee?" he asked as he saw her and he smiled. She smiled back as she leaned against the island opposite him.

"Sure." She said in response and looked down at her hands as she tried to form the words she needed to say.

"I thought that today maybe we could go out?" Harry suggested, not looking up from making the coffee. "I don't mind where, you pick somewhere. All I have to do is say my name and it opens doors so really choose wherever you want to go. Somewhere touristy? Or just a meal out? I'll pay. Anywhere you want to go, I just want to be with you."

"Harry I have to leave." She blurted out and he stopped suddenly and looked up at her with wide, fearful eyes.

"In four days I mean." She added quickly. "I have to leave in four days. I have to go back to England."

"No." he said slowly and abandoned the coffee as he walked slowly around the island toward her. "No you can't go."

"I have to, I don't think you need me here. In fact my being here with you so reliant on me worries me. I won't always be around and when I'm not you need to learn to control the problems by yourself. I believe in you I know you can do it. But I don't belong here."

"You belong nowhere but here. This is where you need to be, don't you understand that?" he said quietly as he approached her. "We can be a proper normal couple one all of this is through. You want that don't you?"

"Of course I do Harry you know that, but…"

"But what?" he asked suddenly, she almost mistook the desperation in his voice for anger but she quickly recognised it. "You don't think we can be?"

"I don't know how long it's going to take to find a cure. And whilst we are together you're in danger and so am I because of James. I don't want you to hurt him and I don't really think he'll do anything to hurt us but he has been bad to me Harry, and I don't know if I can just be around him, part of me feels like I need to escape."

"Let me be your escape." He said quickly before smirking lightly. "It sounds stupidly cheesy but it's real. Please stay with me." he took her hands in his and she tried to hold them back but forced herself to slip her hands from his.

"I don't know Harry. What if there is no cure? What if the Goblin is just a part of who you are? I'd hate it to be true. And I do want to be with you. But how can we be together if we can't ever even go out together?" she asked him. He opened his mouth to respond but before he had the chance her phone rang from the counter where she'd left it the previous evening. She picked it up, turning her back to Harry, and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Tanya?" it was Jonesy.

"Hey Jonesy what's up?"

"You know your experiment? Well it's done. No one's touching it or going near it but I thought you'd want to know so you can come in and get the results yourself. I'll keep the area clear for you."

"Fantastic. Thanks Jonesy. See you later." Tanya hung up the phone and turned slowly to Harry.

"That was Jonesy, the experiments done." She said quietly.

"What does that mean?" Harry asked, confused.

"It means there's either a theoretically working serum, or it's all failed." She answered honestly and he nodded.

"Let's go find out then." He said and stood straighter.

"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. He crossed to her and took her hands again, this time she didn't try and stop him.

"Let's go. Both of us. We'll both go to Oscorp and find out the results and then I can prove that I'm fine in public. That as long as you are there then everyone's safe. I can be normal. We can be normal." He said, he looked into her eyes with his own being wide and honest and she thought for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Alright. Let me get my shoes."

When they walked into Oscorp together, half an hour later, Tanya tried her best to ignore all the glares and stares she and Harry got. Harry walked a step behind her almost like he was telling everyone that he was her bodyguard and he was protecting her. She tried very hard not to blush. When they got in the elevator everyone else got out and Tanya took a shuddering breath. Harry reached across and took her hand tightly, running his thumb over hers. It calmed her instantly and she smiled at him.

"It's all fine." He said brightly and smiled at her. She nodded and the doors opened to a new group of people to scatter as she and Harry approached. Tanya led the way into the lab and donned a white lab coat as she crossed to the machine. She punched in her security code and accessed the results.

"Oh my God." She whispered as she began uploading the schematic in a rush to the replicator.

"What? What is it?" harry asked eagerly and she turned slightly to smile at him.

"It's successful. There's a match combining two of our initial ideas that should work. I'm uploading the theoretical serum into the replicator now, we should have a basic sample in two minutes." She explained with a grin as she turned back to him. He grinned back and soon they were laughing together.

She ran at him and jumped, her caught her and held her tightly. They hugged for a minute before breaking apart slowly, he gently pressed his lips to hers and she responded. She could have let the kiss go on for an eternity but they were interrupted by the bleeping of the machine. She broke away quickly and rushed back to the machine to collect the sample.

"We can begin theoretical and then animal testing immediately. I didn't expect it to be this quick." She said.

"No just test it on me." Harry demanded, taking a step forward.

"Harry I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Tanya, nothing can be worse than I already am. Please I need to know if this is going to work." He said desperately and looked at her with wide eyes until her heart broke.

"Alright fine. Take off your jacket." She instructed and he did so. "And sit down." She continued as she prepared the serum in a syringe and tested it. She had only injected things a few times before, she wasn't a doctor. But she trusted herself well enough not to hurt him. He held up an arm and she held the syringe over it.

"Are you sure about this?" she whispered and he reached up with his other hand and took hers, he gave it a squeeze.

"Yes." He replied and she took a deep breath before moving the syringe down towards the arm.

"Tanya!" Jonesy burst through the door making Tanya jump back and drop Harry's hand.

"What is it Jonesy?" she asked, taking a deep breath. Harry looked at the floor.

"I think there's something you both need to see." She said and Harry stood as they followed her to the break room where a group of people were stood huddled around the television.

"James took off from work yesterday and no one saw him since. Until now." Jonesy explained as they pushed through the people to get to the front. James was on the TV looking dishevelled as he had when Tanya had seen him first. He was talking into a microphone and smiling sweetly into a camera. They all watched in silence.

"Harry Osborn, the man this city trusts to be in charge of Oscorp is the Green Goblin! And he's taken a young woman, a woman I love and he claims to love but he doesn't know her. He doesn't care for her. Tanya Green. I'm going to do what Spiderman can't. I'm going to kill Harry Osborn, the Green Goblin, I'm going to reclaim what's mine. I'm going to protect the city and do what's necessary."

Tanya looked at Harry who was glaring at the screen with an icy expression and she slowly took his hand. It wasn't to restrain him or keep him under control, she knew he already was perfectly alright. It was more to let him know that she was going to stand by him, no matter what.


	12. Chapter 11

**The Amazing Spider-Man**

**Day 11**

"Harry I already told you I'll be fine!" Tanya said as she smoothed her shirt down over her plum skirt. She was wearing her flats and her hair in her usual ponytail, she was ready to go into work to continue testing the cure. She knew that people would work on it whilst she was away but she wanted to be there to make sure that everyone was working to their fullest potential. She wanted nothing to go wrong.

"Tanya you are not going to Oscorp. We have to stay inside." Harry said firmly, following her through the apartment and into the living area. As Tanya turned around to retort she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Clutching to the window and gesturing madly to get her attention was a masked man in a red and blue costume.

"You're best friends with Spiderman now?" she asked bitterly and Harry smiled.

"That's actually really funny if you know the full context." He said and she tilted her head and looked at him, confused. He shook his head and dropped the smile as he took a step toward her. "You can't go out because if James finds you he'll kill you. Or use you to get to me or something. You can't go to the lab."

"What happened to you wanting me to work and do nothing else until we found the cure?" she asked as she stepped up onto the couch and undid the latch, pushing the window open slightly to let the man in. he groaned as he eased himself through the window and Tanya stepped down off the couch and stood facing Harry.

"That was different then, there wasn't a crazy guy trying to kill you."

"No I think you were pretty intent on that." She said coolly with a raised eyebrow.

"Is that really never going to go away?" he asked, exasperated, as she walked around him and to the other couch to collect the notes she'd left there the previous evening and collate them into one neater pile. "I've said I'm sorry! What else can I say?"

"You kidnapped me and coerced me into working for you before throwing me off a fire escape!" she retorted, wheeling around to look at him.

"For the millionth time I am sorry!" he shouted back.

"Seriously, you guys are a couple?" Spiderman asked, gesturing between them. "Wait a minute, is that how you guys met? He kidnapped you?" he asked in disbelief and Tanya nodded. "Wow, totally not cool Harry." Spiderman said.

"Ha! I told you so!" she said in a raised voice to Harry.

"Don't side with her! You're meant to be helping me!" Harry said to him angrily. "And take off the mask man she's not going to tell anyone, she doesn't know anyone to tell."

"That's true." Tanya added before turning back to collect her notes and slip them neatly into her bag. He paused a moment before taking off the mask and holding it awkwardly in front of him.

"Without the mask on I just feel like a weird guy in spandex." He said gloomily.

"Which is exactly what you are." Harry replied drily. "Now will you please tell Tanya that she cannot leave the apartment or that psycho will track her down and hurt or kill her?"

Tanya turned around and offered the boy her hand to shake, he shook it.

"Hello, nice to meet you I'm Tanya." She said pleasantly and smiled at him.

"Nice to meet you too I'm Peter. But he is right you can't leave." Peter said and she sagged as Harry looked triumphant.

"Thank you!" Harry exclaimed and Tanya ignored him.

"Why not? All I'm doing is going to Oscorp to grab some files, ensure that some tests are being run and then I'll come right back."

"No can do." Peter said, shaking his head slowly. "Listen, I'm gonna be up on the roof watching over for you guys. Tanya if I see you leaving this building, and assume I will, I will personally haul your ass back up here in front of everyone. And I will do it more than once if necessary. Good luck." He said and donned his mask once more before disappearing out of the window.

"This is ridiculous." She said before picking up her bag and making to leave. Harry darted around the couch and grabbed her arm so she dropped her bag. He spun her around and held her arms tightly to her sides.

"Tanya please, you cannot go." He said sternly. "You don't understand. I can't worry about you, I can't let you alone for one second I need to keep you safe here. You are the only reason I keep myself from turning into the Goblin, you're the only person in the whole world keeping a hell of a lot of people safe. You can't leave me alone. The reason I don't want you to go is because I'm scared. I'm scared to be alone. I'm scared that you'll get hurt and it will be all my fault. Please, just appease to a protective man who adores you, who loves you. Please don't leave me, please, please, please…" he continued to repeat the word please as tears came to his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. Her heart immediately melted as she realised that he needed her there and whilst she wasn't happy about remaining cooped up inside the apartment, she knew she had no other choice but to agree.

She brought her hands up to his cheeks and used her thumbs to wipe away his tears as she held his face in her hands.

"Hey," she said soothingly and leaned up to kiss him softly. "Hey it's going to be fine." She whispered. "I won't go anywhere."

He leaned down to kiss her softly again but the kiss deepened and soon his arms were around her waist holding her tightly. And hers were stroking his cheeks and gripping at the hair at the base of his neck. She knew that she could wait, once Harry was asleep she could sneak out and would be back before he even knew she'd been gone.

**A/N: Apologies for the short chapter – I fear the next one may be even shorter! I'm hitting exam period now so I'm still trying to update regularly but it's hard. I hope to finish this story within the next month or so. With this chapter I really just wanted to write a funny/cute argument between the pair of them and have Peter sort of awkwardly involved. But there's only 3 chapters left! I hope you're enjoying it though; drop me a review to let me know!  
**


	13. Chapter 12

**The Amazing Spider-Man 2**

**Day 12**

She had accidentally allowed herself to sleep through the night and so when Harry woke up the next morning it was too late to sneak out to Oscorp. So she opted to spend the day working with him instead. They sat on the couch with the work spread out in front of them, passing sheets between them. Harry called into the office at one point to check where they were but there were no updates.

Poppy knew that most of her work was still in the lab and she could hardly do anything whilst she was stuck there but at that moment in time she cared about keeping Harry calm. He was already on edge as it was and her disappearing wouldn't make anything easier on him. She didn't want to have to deal with an angry Goblin, it was hard enough to deal with an angry Harry.

In the late evening she was in the kitchen making herself another coffee and once she was done she walked back through to the living area, taking a sip. She leaned against the doorframe and looked at the papers, her eyes wandering over to where Harry was lying on the sofa. She paused for a moment before walking forward slowly to confirm her suspicions. She was right, he was sleeping. She set down her coffee on the side table before carefully placing a blanket over him, he barely stirred.

She smiled before hurrying into the bedroom and changing into a pair of stone coloured, smart trousers and a black and white striped shirt. She ensured her hair was neatly in its ponytail and slipped on her black pumps. She grabbed a set of keys and her purse, she left her phone where it was in case Harry woke up and tried to call her. She didn't want to have that conversation over the phone, she doubted he would wake up before she was back anyway.

She left the apartment and got a cab to Oscorp, everything seemed normal, the streets were buzzing with life and sirens sounded in the distance. She assumed that was where Peter was instead of dragging her back inside the apartment.

She paid the driver and made her way into the building. The lady on the front desk stood up when she saw her and so she made her way over.

"Hey," Tanya greeted her with a warm smile.

"Miss Green, do you think it's a good idea for you to be here?" the woman asked.

"I just need to get some files and then I'll go back to the apartment. How bad can it be?"

"A man threatened to kill you on live television. If that had happened to me then I wouldn't leave my apartment. Does Mr Osborn know you're here?"

"No he does not. And he won't find out if I just get on with getting my files and hurrying back." She said implicitly and the woman nodded.

"Of course, I'll keep a look out for you Miss Green."

"Thank you." Tanya replied with a tight smile and hurried to the elevators. She went straight to her lab where the experiments were still whirring away despite the fact that everyone in the team left a long time ago. She walked in and donned the white lab coat again before crossing to her desk and tapping her fingers across the keyboard to log in to the computer and get all the files on there. She turned around to check the experiments and her eye was caught by something else. A hand was visible on the floor from around the side of the machine.

Tanya paused for a moment as her breath caught in her throat. She slowly walked around the machine to see who it was and she gasped and put a hand to her mouth to stop herself from crying out as she saw Jonesy lying on the ground, her eyes were open and unseeing. There was no pulse in her neck nor breath in her chest. She was dead.

She knelt down and checked her pulse anyway, but as she feared there was nothing there.

"Oh God Jonesy…" she whispered.

"She reminded me too much of you." A male voice said from behind her, making her jump and turn around in shock. "She was just practice though." James said from the corner.

Tanya stood and backed up until her back connected with the lab top, she had nothing to defend herself and James had his super powers.

"James…" she began to try and talk her way out of it but he put a finger to his lips and walked forward towards her.

"Be quiet, this is my turn now. You talked too much before now I have to say what I have to say." He said slowly, he flicked his wrist and a flask zoomed across the room and landed in his outstretched palm.

"But not here, and not now." He said with a smirk before smashing the flask against the side of her head in one swift movement and, for Tanya Green, everything went black.

**A/N: Again, apologies for the short chapter.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Day 13**

Her head was on fire, she was sure of it; there could be no other explanation for the searing pain that was pumping through her head. She noticed it more and more with every beat of her heart but there seemed to be no way of getting rid of it. She took a deep breath, hoping that the cool air would offer her some relief but it did little. She kept her eyes shut, not wanting James to know that she was awake but she needed to know where she was, what had happened to her.

The ground was hard beneath her and cold as stone, it was stone, and she reached out her fingers a little and felt where the stone gave way to wooden panels. She resisted the urge to react as the rough wood gave her a splinter and she withdrew her fingers as quickly as she dared to. The air was cold around her and she thought that she must be outside somewhere, or at least not inside of a proper building. Perhaps she was on a porch or something? She didn't know, she couldn't work it out.

Deciding that touch would get her nowhere she decided to focus on what she could hear. There were no distinguishable human noises, just the sound of the wind blowing through the trees around her, they creaked slightly but the wind wasn't strong, she couldn't feel it so she knew she must be sheltered. Braving whatever would be facing her, Tanya eased open her eyes.

The first thing she saw was the moon. It was late at night, again, judging by the position of the moon it had to be past midnight. She could see the trees outside of the window waving slightly in the wind, as if to foretell a storm. She deduced that she was in some kind of hut that was half wooden and half left to stone. She turned her head and groaned, instantly regretting it as pain seared through her skull. She could see water and she realised she was in a docking hut where boats were rented to take out onto one of the lakes in central park. She sat up slowly, beginning to scan her surroundings and trying her best to ignore the pain in her head. It became easier as she sat up and realised that she had pain in other places. Most worryingly, on the insides of her thighs and in her lower abdomen. It didn't take her long to work out what had happened, what James had been driven to.

She didn't know what to feel, she felt numb. Anger and pain and sickness coursed through her and she wanted nothing more than to dive into the lake and scream and scream until the water filled her lungs. But that wasn't who she was and that wasn't the way to handle this situation. She was, however, paralysed with shock and fear of where James was now and what else he planned to do to her.

Slowly, she stood and tried her best to keep her balance at the room spun slowly. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths until it steadied, but it didn't stop the sick feeling that was nestling in the pit of her stomach. She had a concussion; she didn't need to be smart to work that out. But there was little she could do about it at that moment so instead she decided to try and work out how to get out of her difficult situation.

Once she felt steady enough, she turned slowly around to look around the room; there were boats and gear that was of no use to her. She hated the water, she always had done, swimming was her idea of horrible and the ocean was a real fear. She didn't intend to be getting out of the hut via the lake; she intended to find another way. She walked through towards the door that led to the office; through there would be a door to get out into the park. Once she was in the park she knew that she would be able to get her bearings and get to the police, maybe even to Peter so they could get James and detain him before he did any more damage. Despite what he'd done to her, Tanya still saw her best friend in James, he'd just lost his way a little and needed some help in finding his way back, she would help him even if it sickened her every step of the way.

She reached the office door and went to open it but it was locked. She rattled it for a few moments to no avail but refused to let panic set in, instead she looked around calmly to find something to smash the glass with. She found a long rod with a hook on the end, something used to pull in the boats when the customers were unable to row them in properly themselves. Tanya grabbed it and stood back, raising the rod above her shoulder. She paused and took a deep breath, readying herself to strike, when a voice from behind her made her jump.

'Why wouldn't you just ask for the key instead of vandalising property?' James asked her in a sickly tone. She turned suddenly, ready to defend herself; but his powers wrenched the rod from her and it flew in a high arch and landed with a splash in the lake behind James. He had changed again, he had returned to his evil alter ego, the image of himself that sickened Tanya even more than she already was.

'James, what's happened? What have you done?' She asked slowly, trying to remain as calm as she possibly could be and quell the panic bubbling inside of her stomach and throat.

'I think you know what happened Tan; I honestly don't know what possessed me to do it. All I knew was that it was my right.' He replied coolly and Tanya knew that her best friend was still in there and he was sorry for what he had done.

'James, how can you think it's your right to hurt me like this? Let me go and get some help and we'll see to it that you get better, just like we're doing for Harry.' Tanya said to him taking a step towards him even though every single instinct she had was screaming at her to get as far away from him as possible.

'You really don't understand? Even after everything that's happened in the past two weeks? You just don't get it; I don't want to be cured! I want to stay like this, powerful.' James told her and there was a coldness in his voice and eyes that scared Tanya and she did wonder truly whether he could actually be saved.

'James, this isn't you. This isn't the friend I've known since we were small. Please let me help you.' She pleaded and he looked momentarily confused.

'You want to help me, even after what I've done to you?' He asked her and she tried her hardest not to let her heart break at the surprise in his voice.

'Yes, James. I want my friend back, not this monster.' She told him honestly and he smiled and walked over to her. She forced herself to remain frozen despite her fear, he took her arms in his hands and squeezed hard; she wanted to wrench herself away but even if she tried she doubted she would be able to.

'And then...?' He began but didn't continue; Tanya furrowed her brow.

'And then what?' She asked quietly, worried about his intentions still.

'And then we can be together properly. Just like I want, just like what is right. Tanya do you believe in destiny? Because I do, and I believe that when we met as children and remained friends for so long, we continued to have major influences on one another's lives and so, we were destined to be together.' James explained to her excitedly and she felt tears pricking at her eyes and a lump rising in her throat as his elongated fingernails dug into her arm so they drew blood. She knew that James had no intention of changing and truthfully, even if they did manage to cure him, he would continue to think in this way and believe it.

'James, I'm sorry. I don't feel about you in that way.' Tanya told him softly, trying to ease the blow the best she could, but she knew it would insight anger and sure enough it did.

'It doesn't matter how you feel Tanya. It's about what the universe wants and this is it.' James said sternly.

'Then I'll fight it.' She replied firmly, growing tired of catering to him even though the fear was running through her, increasing her adrenaline with every heartbeat. Tears escaped her eyes now and James could truly see that she was afraid of him, but this only made him angry.

'Why don't you care? Why don't you choose me?' He yelled suddenly and let go of her arms, but the relief was only temporary as he transferred his grip to her neck. He hoisted her up by her neck and her feet dangled in the air. She tried to kick at his legs but her feet always seemed to miss and they sailed uselessly past, missing the mark every single time.

'James. Stop.' Tanya croaked, clawing at his hands but it was to no avail.

'You know, maybe vandalism is the answer sometimes.' James crooned before suddenly launching Tanya through the window of the office door. Tanya screamed as she smashed through the glass and landed in a heap on the floor on the other side. For a moment she was paralysed in pain at the impact and the various shards of glass which had become embedded in her skin.

'Get up.' She whispered to herself, breathing heavily as James approached the door in a saunter. After a few more moments she managed to pull herself up by the desk to limp around to the other side. She surveyed her injuries and noticed that none of the cuts were too deep, they just hurt a lot. Her entire body ached from the impact with the glass and her head was pounding harder than ever.

'James, it doesn't have to be like this.' She cried as he pushed his way through the door, his boots crunching on the broken glass. She backed away until her back connected with a bookcase and her eyes scanned the room. The door was to her left, but closer to James than to her and she knew that he knew she would make a break for it. The chances were that door was locked too anyway.

'How else can it be Tanya? You want the monster, this is how monsters behave. I thought you knew that better than anyone, considering your new boyfriend.' He sneered and they stood in silence for a moment, either side of the desk, staring one another down and daring the other to make the first move. Tanya decided that if she didn't try and then she would never know, so she ran.

She made for the door but sure enough, just as her hand closed around the handle she felt James' hands winding around her and yanking her back. She screamed again as she was launched over the desk and back into the bookcase. She lay on the floor, sobbing as her body continued to complain in pain. She eventually forced herself up as James sniggered.

'It's actually quite fun being like this. I feel like a God who gets to play around with human life. There's actually something else I want to try.' He told her as she stood and balanced herself against the wall, struggling to remain upright but trying hard all the same. She focused on the sound of his voice and glared at him through her red haze of pain.

'James, please, just let me go.' Tanya pleaded, unable to truly focus on whatever he was saying, she didn't care about his deluded ramblings, and she just wanted to get away from him.

'I intend to.' James said quietly and flicked his wrist. The door leading out of the office suddenly flew off its hinges and towards Tanya. Adrenaline spiked inside of her and she dived aside just in time so that it sailed above her head and crashed into the wall behind her. She cried out as the splinters rained down on her and she shuddered to think of the pain it would have caused her if the door had hit her. Once she was more in control of herself she dragged herself up again and James smiled at her.

She glared at him as he gestured towards the now open door. Thunder rumbled in the distance and Tanya heard the first pattering of rain outside.

'Go.' He instructed her and she was frozen in confusion.

'What do you mean?' She asked and he smiled in a way that made her worry, it was the largest cause for fear she'd had yet.

'Run. I'll give you a head start.' He grinned and she realised that he wanted to play some kind of sick, twisted game. She caught her breath in her throat and forced herself to calm down a little. He laughed at her and gestured to the door again, his voice colder this time.

'I would start running if I were you.' He threatened and she suddenly realised that if she didn't then she would be punished. She slowly edged around the desk and towards the door, scared that it might be a trick and he would drag her back at the last minute.

'Thirty seconds.' He whispered and covered his eyes with a sick grin. Tanya didn't need to be told twice; she turned and sprinted out into the night to the sound of the thunder growing closer and a distant flash of lightning. The rain seemed heavier when she was running through it; it drenched her in seconds as she sprinted down the path and reached a fork. She didn't think she just picked a path at random and continued to sprint; she didn't care where she was going as long as she was as far away from James as she possibly could be. She didn't know whether it would be better to scream for help or not, she decided against it for fear of him finding her faster.

She came to a dense pack of trees and bushes and dived in without thinking, she burrowed down into the dirt underneath a bush. The twigs and branches and thorns all snapped at her scratched her skin but she knew she couldn't be in more pain than she already was and she was right. Once she was burrowed as far down as possible, she placed her hand over her mouth and peeked out between the leaves.

After the fast pace and loud noises of her breathing and panic, it was suddenly quiet as she lay in the dirt. There was only the sound of the rain hammering down around her, something which she could use to her advantage, and the sound of the thunder growing ever close; and then the sound of footsteps.

Tanya held her breath as she saw James round the corner and walk onto the path where she was hiding.

'Tanya!' He called in a bright tone and thunder clapped again, ever closer. 'Come out, come out wherever you are.' He sang and she closed her eyes for a moment as tears leaked from them.

'This is fun isn't it?' He called again and the way in which he paced up and down past her, slowly, she knew that he knew she was somewhere nearby. He didn't appear to know exactly where she was though so she wondered how long she could wait him out and whether he would eventually give up and go away.

'All this suspense, do I know where you are or don't I?' He continued and she stifled a whimper, grateful that it coincided with a clap of thunder to disguise her noise.

'I bet you're absolutely bricking it at the moment. Isn't it funny how things can change in such a short space of time? Two weeks ago we were joking around and laughing, excited at the prospect of my new life here in the grand old US of A. But now, you're hiding from me somewhere in the mud; in the dark and the rain. I suppose you could stay out here all night if I didn't find you, but then you'd probably get all your injuries infected and possibly die. Or catch a cold so bad you'd die. Or even bleed out, I didn't see how deep some of those cuts were but you seemed to be pretty cut up about it. Get it? Cut up? I'm hilarious.' James continued to talk as he paced up and down in front of her and she watched his feet with wide eyes full of fear.

'Now Tanya, I'm going to give you to the count of three. If you come out then I'll give you another thirty second head start, if you don't, well you're going to die either way. You have no idea how little I care for your life anymore. I tried to save you but you just wouldn't let me.' He said and she bit her lip hard.

'One.' He called in his sing-song tone and Tanya raced her mind. She didn't know what the best course of action would be to take.

'Two!' He continued and Tanya removed her hands from her mouth. If she got up she could find somewhere else to hide but she doubted James was to be trusted. Besides he was right, even if she did find somewhere else to hide it was very unlikely she would last until morning.

She heard him take in his breath to yell the final number and she knew she had to make her decision fast but her mind was racing between the two options. If she remained hidden would he believe she wasn't there and go somewhere else? Was there another option that she couldn't think of? Did she believe or trust him? Of course she didn't but she was quickly running out of ideas. She didn't want to die whilst hiding under a bush.

All of this was rushing through her head and fighting for her approval when she heard James begin his final number. But he was drowned out by the sudden whoosh of a jet engine and Tanya looked out to see him splayed out on the ground, Harry a few metres away in his goblin suit. Harry stepped off the glider and strode over to James, crouching beside him and striking him hard across the face so he groaned and stayed down. James laughed suddenly and looked up into the sky.

'What? Was Spiderman busy?' He asked Harry mockingly and Tanya worried for James' safety if he continued to vex Harry. She willed herself to move, she knew that if Harry didn't know she was there then he would kill James, but she couldn't bring herself to move yet.

'Where is she?' Harry asked in a low voice, he was angry, the angriest Tanya had ever seen him. But he wasn't the goblin, which surprised her. He was still Harry; someone who cared about her and was trying to protect her, he was proving that he didn't need the goblin to still be someone with great power.

'Seriously? No Spidey? I'm disappointed.' James muttered and Harry struck him again across the face and Tanya was brought to her senses. She began to disentangle herself from the branches and claw her way out of the hole she'd burrowed herself into.

'Where is she?' Harry yelled this time, anger mixing with desperation in his tone. 'Don't doubt I will kill you if you've hurt her.'

'No! Harry, stop!' Tanya yelled as she managed to stumble out from the bush and both men looked up suddenly.

'I knew you were close.' James whispered but Harry simply let him go and rushed over to Tanya.

'Are you okay?' He asked and Tanya nodded quickly, clinging to him for support as he began to guide her over to the glider.

'I just want to get out of here.' She told him honestly and He helped her onto the glider, taking his position himself. James began to get up slowly, grumbling as he watched them begin to take off. The lightning was closer now and Tanya knew that they couldn't go too high or they would run the risk of being electrocuted. Unfortunately that meant that they couldn't escape James' range of powers.

They hadn't gotten far at all when they felt the pull of the glider being dragged back towards James and his grunts of exertion.

They fell back onto the path and Tanya rolled away from Harry who sprung up immediately to defend them against James.

'Do you know why I did it?' James asked, gesturing to himself with a smile, his sharpened teeth were covered in blood. 'Why I became this monster, the Hyde to my Jekyll?'

'To be honest I don't care.' Harry said to him, standing between him and Tanya who was scrambling back and out of the way.

'I think you might care more than you think you do.' James said to Harry with his gruesome smile and Harry didn't retaliate, he remained silent and simply glared at his adversary, ready to spring into battle at any moment should it be required of him.

'James please don't...' Tanya whimpered as she curled up on the floor a little way away. She couldn't even bring herself to stand she felt so weak and in pain.

'I did it for her.' James told Harry, ignoring Tanya's pleas. 'I wanted her to fall for me in the same way she appears to have fallen for you. What I don't get is why! You're the villain! You've hurt people, you've killed people! You are the bad guy in this city but she's still infatuated with you! I became this monster, I sacrificed myself and my life to become a hero, to take you down and claim her, my damsel in distress as my prize.'

'You don't get to claim her. She's not a prize.' Harry retorted heatedly, 'She's a human being and she makes her own choices, just like you. What's different about you and her is she makes the right decisions; you've made the wrong ones. I don't want to hurt you because I know she wouldn't like it but if you don't leave right now and let us go, I will kill you.'

'I'm right here you know...' Tanya breathed but she could barely raise her voice above a whisper so neither of them heard her.

'Honestly, sir.' James sneered, 'I'd love to see you try.'

The fight broke out before Tanya had a chance to cry out. They were on top of one another and punching and kicking and clawing at one another. Harry had his suit for protection and he could easily kill James but he didn't want to upset Tanya, he had to find a way to subdue his foe without killing him. James, on the other hand, had his powers and had every intention of ending the life of the famous Harry Osborn.

'You know...' James said as he threw Harry to the floor, 'I don't know why I didn't just take her before. I didn't need these powers I could easily have gotten what I wanted.'

'James don't.' Tanya warned him but he ignored her. She began to try and pull herself to her feet but she struggled. Harry was already back on his own and launching another attack on James.

'I only wish she could have been awake, that way I would have been able to see her eyes. Been able to feel the way she wanted me. It wasn't that I was forcing myself on her; it was just that I would have liked to know she was enjoying it as much as I was. I know she would have done.' James sneered and Harry stopped suddenly as he realised what James was talking about. Simply to relish the moment, James allowed him to turn to Tanya who was still sat on the ground. As Harry's wide eyes met hers, the crushing reality of what James had done to her kicked in and Tanya couldn't help the hysterical sobs which rose up inside of her. She broke down suddenly and buried her head in her knees, hiding away in shame and fear.

'You...' Harry began breathlessly as he too came to the realisation of the extent James had gone. There was a moment of shock and Tanya swore even the thunder stopped in anticipation; but then it was over and Harry was roaring obscenities at James. Tanya looked up in time to see Harry deploying a star from his arm and James wasn't looking, he was still sneering at her.

'Harry no!' Tanya screamed and James' attention returned to Harry, but it was a second too late. Everything seemed to fall into slow motion as the star flew through the air in the direction of James' throat. Forgetting his powers James panicked and his face fell as he raised a hand to block it, but he wasn't fast enough and the metal sailed into his throat and flew out the other side again, slicing his neck. Blood spurted from the gash and James was dead before he even hit the floor. Tanya stood slowly, unable to process the idea that her best friend was dead, let alone her tormentor.

'Tanya?' She heard Harry's voice but it sounded so distant, she could barely latch onto it. She couldn't remove herself from this world where there was only her and James' dead body. Suddenly Harry's hand was on her shoulder, shaking her slightly and she was brought back to the real world with a crash. She backed away from him suddenly, afraid of what he might do to her.

'What did you do Harry?' She demanded as she heard the sound of sirens approaching them. She knew that the goblin must have been sighted and therefore someone had had the initiative to call the police. They would find her and Harry Osborn with the body, not the goblin.

'I was protecting you!' Harry retorted but Tanya could see the darkness in his eyes and she shook her head slowly.

'No Harry. You were giving into the darkness. You were giving into the goblin.' She laughed suddenly and began to walk away but stopped and turned back around sharply to face him, he seemed perplexed.

'You know what Harry?' She yelled, 'I don't know why I ever thought I could help you. You're not Harry and the goblin separately you are one and the same and you won't ever change. You're always going to be the green goblin and you're always going to hurt people, you can't be helped.'

They stood staring at one another in the rain for a few moments and the sirens got closer, Tanya could hear the shouts of policemen trying to find them in the dark.

'I hope you never find a cure. I hope you're plagued with this forever, it's what you deserve.' She told him bitterly and she'd never seen him look more hurt. She'd never seen anyone look so hurt.

'Hello! Is someone there? Shout out to me, do you need help?' A man shouted from a little way away and they saw the beam of a flashlight approaching.

'You'd better go before you get caught.' Tanya told him sadly and he stopped for a moment and took a step towards her.

'Tanya...' He began softly but she was too angry.

'Go!' She yelled and he jumped at the harshness of her tone.

'Hello?' The man yelled again and Harry paused for a moment before rushing to his glider and taking off quickly, hurrying away. Once he was gone, Tanya allowed her emotions to overwhelm her and she sunk to the ground, sobbing. The police arrived and found James' body, they found her bleeding and broken and they saw the goblin soaring away. Tanya wished she could tell them the truth but she couldn't bring herself to recount her story so instead she kept quiet. After all, she was going home the following day.


	15. Chapter 15

**Day 14**

Despite the hospital being unhappy with her travelling so soon after the events that had unfolded, Tanya decided that there was no way she was spending another day in New York when she was due to leave that day anyway. Her stubbornness eventually won out and the doctors agreed to her leaving so long as she tried her best to rest as much as possible on the plane and took things slowly. Tanya promised but she honestly didn't care what they thought, she felt better after a shower and a short sleep. They prescribed her some painkillers that would knock her out for the flight and then she would wake up feeling refreshed when she arrived back in London.

Tanya didn't know what had happened to the team of scientists working on Harry's cure, but she imagined they were disbanded or at least suspended after Jones's body had been found and after the experiments James had run. It was strange and worrying to think that something with so much potential would have to be shut down after only being in effect for two weeks. Tanya truly believed that if they put their mind to it, that team could have shaped the future of research and of medical sciences. Part of her wished that she could just take the research and set it all up in London, she was sure a lab at Oxford would take her if she signed on to lecture there a little. But there was no way she was good enough or distinguished enough to take on that kind of role. Anyway, there was that other part of her which never wanted to see that research ever again, it was too painful, she knew it would remind her of two much.

She couldn't stop thinking about what she'd said to Harry, how she'd been so cruel and unlike herself. She had just wanted to help him and he was just protecting her from a madman; but there had been other ways to deal with the situation, she never wanted anyone to die. Especially not James; the image of his unseeing eyes, the sneering grin still plastered on his lips even in death, haunted her mind and her sleep. They weren't nightmares, she was just sad; she had wanted so desperately to take things back to the way they were, she wanted to protect James in the way that Harry wanted to protect her. He had always been her closest friend and she believed that if he got better then he would become that man again. But now it was too late to even test that theory.

The morning of her fourteenth day in New York, Tanya woke a little later than usual before having her usual shower. She decided to give the jog a miss and instead focused on getting all of her things piled into her duffel bag. She chose to wear a pair of black jeans and a shirt with a flower pattern, her hair tied into its customary ponytail.

In the cab to the airport she looked out at the bustling city, the way in which it continued to go about its day despite the horrors that had unfolded in their very own park the night before. She couldn't help but wonder whether all of this would have happened to some other poor soul if she hadn't come to America with James. Would he have chosen some other girl to obsess over and events unfolded the same way as they had? Would things have been better? Would they have been worse? Tanya didn't doubt that Peter would have dealt with James eventually if he really was as bad as he had been with Tanya there, but she couldn't stop thinking about how things would have turned out with Harry.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the seat, not wanting to sleep, just wanting to escape from the city for a few moments; she just wanted to leave it all behind and never return. She hated how such a beautiful city had become so tainted to her, how she would never be able to return without reliving the painful experiences that she had had there. She had loved New York and now she was sure that she despised it, she wanted nothing more than to return to her small flat in London and her low level job. She wasn't meant for big adventures and climactic scenes, she was meant for tea and the news before bed. She didn't belong in the middle of the drama; she belonged to watching it on the television when she had nothing better to do.

She wanted to escape from her living nightmare and return to her home, her bed, her life. She couldn't believe that just a few short days ago she'd been considering moving to New York permanently. She scolded herself for moving too fast and thinking so far ahead about a potential life with a man she'd only just met, she fell in love with his spell and the curiosity he excited in her because that was all it was, scientific interest.

The realisation made her eyes snap open and she felt horrified with herself as she came to know in her heart that, whilst she might have had some feelings for Harry, they were mainly dominated by an interest to cure him, to use him as a subject and run tests on him simply to fuel her own career. She never realised she was that kind of person; she had felt sympathetic towards Harry of course, but that couldn't make right what she'd done. She sighed and clamped her eyes shut again, now trying to block out the horrors that were herself.

As they pulled into the airport Tanya readied her money so she could get out as quickly as possible, she tipped the driver generously just so she could leave the stuffy confinement of the back of the cab. She slung her duffel bag over her shoulder and made her way into the airport, she didn't know where the time went, she didn't care. She moved as if through a daze, spurred on simply by the desire to get home as quickly as possible and ignore the looks of surprise and stares she got from other people as they surveyed her injuries. She wondered if her adventure had hit the news yet and anyone recognised her, she hoped not.

She was sat in the departure lounge when she noticed more stares than usual, she squirmed uncomfortably and tried to concentrate on reading the magazine she'd bought and had been attempting to read. It was very difficult to concentrating on reading something she didn't care about when there were children whispering and pointing at her and parents pulling them away gently but staring themselves all the same.

'I didn't realise you were into fashion.' Harry said as he sat down besides her and she jumped. She glanced around and realised the added stares hadn't particularly been at her, but more so at Harry Osborn who had been walking towards her through a crowded terminal.

'Harry, how did you get through?' She asked, annoyed and slamming down her magazine onto her lap.

'I have friends in high places.' He said quietly as Tanya stuffed the magazine into her purse, secretly thankful that she didn't have to read any more about some supermodel she didn't care about.

'I think you are more likely the friend in the high place.' She muttered and Harry smirked. 'And I don't like fashion; I just don't like people more.'

'That makes sense, people are trouble.'

They sat in silence for a moment, not looking at one another, simply staring ahead. Tanya was thankful that he didn't try and touch her; she knew James would have done.

'Why are you here Harry?' She asked him as they announced the gate for her flight. A multitude of people got up and began making their way in the direction of the gate. Tanya wanted to be among them but she had to know what Harry had to say.

'A number of reasons,' he replied, 'the first one of which is to apologise. What I did to James was too far, I was just so angry at him for what he did to you and, I don't know, red clouded my judgement.'

'The goblin took over.' Tanya clarified for him and he paused before nodding slowly.

'Yeah, but I am sorry, I truly am Tanya.' He said sincerely and she believed him. It was the least she could do to end things on good terms.

'I know.' She told him softly. 'I can't forgive you for what's happened, but I can accept your apology.'

'That sounds like a fair deal.' He said and took a deep breath before continuing. 'The other reason I'm here, is to ask you again to stay. Please.'

'I can't Harry.' She replied brusquely, picking up her bag and standing. Harry stood quickly too and Tanya readied herself to wrench her arm away when he grabbed it, but he didn't. Instead he stood before her with wide, pleading eyes.

'Tanya, I am so sorry about everything that's happened but I can change! I need you to stay with me or else I'll never be able to get better.' He begged but she shrugged.

'Harry, this is the city where my best friend went insane and got himself killed after turning himself into a monster and attacking me. I cannot stay here. And you were the man who killed him, every time I look at you all I will ever be able to see is the look that you had on your face when you threw that star. This city is plagued for me. I have to go.' She turned to leave again but Harry caught up to her and walked alongside her as she went towards her gate. The queue was short now and Tanya knew she didn't have much time before it would close.

'Tanya I know that what I did was wrong but it wasn't me it was...'

'But it was you Harry.' Tanya interrupted him, whirling around and stopping, he stopped too in surprise. 'That wasn't the goblin acting that was you. I can't be here I'm sorry. I'm also sorry about what I said last night. It was cruel and I was just angry but it didn't call for those kinds of harsh words. I do hope that you find a cure because you're a good person inside Harry, you just need some help. I can't help you though, I can't be here.'

'Tanya please... I can't do this without you.' He said quietly and she sighed as they gave the final call for the gate.

'Your team were on the right track.' She told him firmly. 'Make sure they stick to that track and they'll get there eventually. I hope they do at least.'

She turned and headed for the gate and Harry took a step in her direction but didn't move to stop her.

'Tanya...' He said and his voice cracked. She turned back momentarily to see tears in his eyes and her heart ached, but she couldn't change her mind now, it was too far gone. She walked back to him and leaned up to plant a soft kiss on his cheek.

'Goodbye Harry.' She whispered before turning and walking through the gate. Harry didn't move to stop her as she continued onto the plane and the gate closed. Tanya Green closed her eyes as the plane took off; she had never felt freer. Once she returned to her life, she did her best to forget her pain, and she never looked back.


End file.
